Isn’t it striking how the Laborgebäude Schnorrstraße seems to float? This building a part of the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft campus near Dresden’s main station offers a unique contrast. It stands at the corner of Andreas Schubert Straße and Schnorrstraße.
The older buildings of the former transport college display neo-Baroque ornamentation. But the Laborgebäude Schnorrstraße offers a clear and unpretentious design. It is a contrast between architectural styles. The architecture of the 1950s meets the cool understatement of modern design. This contrast embraces tolerance and plurality. It reflects our contemporary sensibility.
Burger Rudacs Architekten designed this cubic L-shaped building. The Staatsbetrieb SIB NL Dresden II was the client. The building has two and four-story wings. The Laborgebäude Schnorrstraße impresses with its rationality. Its clear functionality as a laboratory building does not need artistic enhancement. The lack of playful elements is refreshing. The building exudes a calming aura reminiscent of Japanese aesthetics. Its simplicity enhances the fragmented appearance of the Südvorstadt.
What makes the Laborgebäude Schnorrstraße special? The building section on Schnorrstraße is elevated. The ground floor is absent creating a sense of lightness. This design provides access to underground delivery areas. It makes the building appear to float.
The Laborgebäude Schnorrstraße exemplifies the “3rd Modernity” style. This style seeks seriousness after the postmodern experiments of the 1980s and 90s. Clean lines and simple materials define it. Fair-faced concrete supports glass-like plastic facades and stone elements at the delivery ramp are visible.
The color palette is restrained. Black silver neutral gray and muted gray-green dominate. These colors underscore the scientific nature of the building.
Inside the Laborgebäude Schnorrstraße a precise atrium promotes concentration. The shimmering floor adds sophistication to the interior.
A neon-blue light installation by Arend Zwicker provides a unique artistic touch. This abstract piece spans three floors in the covered courtyard. It symbolizes finding measure in science architecture and art.
The forecourt design is unconventional. Birches grow through openings in the seating areas.
The Laborgebäude Schnorrstraße reflects a desire for simplicity. In today’s complex world people crave simplicity. The building answers this need without becoming ordinary. It embraces a reduced aesthetic.
This building embodies a shift in architecture around 2000. Architects sought balance and a return to simplicity. They aimed for enduring modernity valuing regionalism and reducing complexity.
Dresden was the City of Science in 2006. The Laborgebäude Schnorrstraße embodies this spirit. It highlights the connection between science business and culture in Dresden. It is an example of where elements connect. The building consolidates the training areas of chemistry physics and civil engineering of the HTW Dresden at one location. The central atrium is the heart of the building. The experiment lecture hall is located next to the main entrance. The facade is designed as a ribbon facade.
The Lehr- und Laborgebäude der Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden was awarded the BNB Certificate in Gold for its sustainability.