Foundation stone laid for new pharmacy building Tradition and modernity combined in new building

On 9 July, Technical University of Braunschweig celebrated another milestone in its renovation programme with the symbolic laying of the foundation stone for the new pharmacy building. TU President Angela Ittel, together with Niedersachsen’s Minister of Science Falko Mohrs and Mayor Thorsten Kornblum, placed a time capsule in the foundation pillar. The research and teaching building, which is expected to cost around 50 million euros, will provide students and scientists with optimal conditions for research and teaching in the future.

Pharmacy has a long history in Braunschweig. As early as 1835, pharmacy was taught at the Collegium Carolinum, a predecessor of TU Braunschweig. Today, Braunschweig is one of the largest university locations for pharmacy in Germany and the only one in Niedersachsen. Around 700 students at TU Braunschweig acquire expertise in all aspects of pharmaceuticals, including drug extraction and analysis, processing into medicinal forms, and the effects of drugs on humans.

New pharmacy campus

The new research and teaching building replaces the previous building, constructed in 1965, which is in dire need of renovation. Together with the adjacent existing institute buildings, the new building forms a newly designed “pharmacy campus” on Beethovenstraße. The open space between the buildings serves as an area for communication and recreation and ensures short distances between the individual institutes. The medicinal plant garden, which has been specially designed for pharmacy students, is also located nearby.

Attractive research and study conditions

The building is divided into different levels for teaching and research purposes. Modern, practical laboratories and a training pharmacy ensure that the course of study has a high degree of practical relevance and is research-based. Lecture halls, a library and a teaching/learning centre are located in the central public student areas at the front of the building, which span three levels. Modern research areas are located on the third and fourth floors at the rear of the building.

Research topics in pharmacy at TU Braunschweig include rational drug design, the molecular pharmacology of cardiovascular diseases, developing nanostructured drug carriers and biotechnology for plant-based active ingredients.

About the architecture

The front building on Beethovenstraße is approximately 23 metres wide and 60 metres long, and is aligned in height with the six-storey annex. The striking contour of the building results from its division into public student areas on the first three floors, with the upper, recessed floors housing the research areas.

The functional architectural language features a high degree of repetition with two different window formats for the teaching area and the research facilities. The only special feature in the otherwise regular façade is the large lecture hall window spanning three floors at the striking western end of the building.

Pharmacy is the second of three new buildings

The pharmacy building is already the second of three new teaching and research buildings being constructed at TU Braunschweig to replace existing buildings in need of renovation. The foundation stone for the chemistry building was laid last October, and the foundation stone for the new physics building is scheduled to be laid in November. All six faculties are contributing to the financing of TU Braunschweig’s share of the three new buildings.

Comments on the laying of the foundation stone

Falko Mohrs, Niedersachsen Minister of Science and Culture:

“With the start of construction today, we are sending a practical and symbolic signal for the future of pharmacy in Niedersachsen. The new building will provide modern facilities for study and research, and represents another significant step in the extensive renovation work at TU Braunschweig. It also demonstrates our commitment to promoting science and innovation in a sustainable way in Niedersachsen. Braunschweig will thus gain a modern and future-proof infrastructure as a central location for pharmaceutical education and research.”

Prof Angela Ittel, President of TU Braunschweig:

“Pharmacy has a long tradition in Braunschweig. Research and teaching have been conducted here since 1835. Today, we are one of the largest university locations for pharmacy in Germany, and the only one in Niedersachsen. Pharmaceutical research and studies are crucial for the health of our society. We are therefore delighted that, with the support of the state, space is being created here for cutting-edge research with state-of-the-art infrastructure, including high-tech laboratories, internships and a training pharmacy. There will also be a large lecture hall with a window overlooking the city. I see this as a symbolic gesture: science here is oriented towards society.”

Thorsten Kornblum, Mayor of the City of Braunschweig:

“This building will modernise Braunschweig as a centre for pharmacy and strengthen its position in the long term. This will benefit not only students and researchers, but ultimately society as a whole. After all, pharmacy is an indispensable part of our lives. In times of global health crises especially, we have become aware of how important pharmaceutical research is for public services. This new, state-of-the-art building being constructed here will provide the space for innovations to flourish.”

Prof Martin Korte, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences:

“Pharmaceutical research in the future will not be one-dimensional. It is networked, interdisciplinary and sustainable. This is precisely what today’s groundbreaking ceremony reflects. Open laboratory spaces and modern communication zones will encourage collaboration between students and researchers. New technologies such as AI-supported drug discovery, high-resolution imaging and automated synthesis platforms will be based here. The state, TU Braunschweig and the Faculty of Life Sciences are investing not just in bricks and mortar, but in people, talent and ideas. We are creating spaces where creativity and excellence can flourish.”