The Research Center ZGH at Ruhr University Bochum, located between the IA and IB complex on the north side of the campus, is one of the key projects in the university's expansion program, aiming to promote the development of new high-performance materials. Based on the existing built environment and sloping site, it’s designed to create an independent research image. with its polygonal form and core atrium, the ZGH center creates a comfortable and pleasant research environment that meets the requirements of high-precision experiments, while integrating itself into the campus with a unique identity.

The Research Center ZGH at the Ruhr University Bochum (Research Center for Interface-Oriented High-Performance Materials) is a key project under the support of the German Federal Government and the Government of North Rhine-Westphalia, aiming to provide around 80 scientists with a sophisticated working and experimental environment to study material properties, processing and modeling under extreme conditions, especially the structure and function of emerging materials.

At the same time, the project is part of the renovation and expansion of the Ruhr University Bochum, which aims to strengthen the links between the I-complex (engineering district in the campus) and to create a continuous interdisciplinary research zone.

The Research Center ZGH is located on a sloping site of approximately 3,000 sqm between the IA and IB complex.

On the one hand, the design adopts a polygonal form to show the independence and make it interact with the IA and IB, so as to reshape the inner courtyard space between IA and IB. On the other hand, the design makes full use of the topography to form an open and highly connected research complex.

The entire building is open to the campus street, with its ground floor recessed inward on the lower side, which forms a welcoming main entrance with glass volumes, and connected to IA and IB through a podium at the back.

The 5-storey research center ZGH holds technical rooms, storage rooms, auxiliary rooms in its underground floor, and laboratories, offices and conference rooms in its 1st to 4th floors.

A 3-storey atrium at the core of the building creates an open, light-filled space that serves as the central hub that optimizes circulation and visual connection and as an important public space that encourages informal communication and inspiration.

The top of the atrium opens to provide an abundance of natural light. Meanwhile, on the 4th floor, it forms is a roof terrace where people can rest and communicate.

On the 1st to 3rd floors, research and experimental spaces are efficiently arranged around the atrium, including clean rooms, microscopy laboratories, and other laboratories.

The design opens a series of square windows between the laboratories and the atrium establishing visual connections, which allows natural light to pass through and enter the experimental space and visitors to glimpse what is happening in the laboratories, creating a more comfortable working environment.

It is worth mentioning that the high sensitivity scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) in the microscopy laboratories have extremely strict requirements for the spatial environment. Therefore, a special "decoupling" structural system has been designed to reduce the vibration impact of the building environment on the equipment, ensuring the accuracy and sensitivity for the experiment.

The new Research Center ZGH incorporates a minimalist design language into the historical campus style of Ruhr University Bochum, which is simple in appearance and has a clear structure. At the same time, it is different from the IA and IB complex that was reconstructed in the style of the original buildings from the 1960s.

The façade is made of prefabricated steel plates in a blue-grey color. In a complex folding structure, vertical edges are formed in a fixed interval, which contrasts with the horizontal stripes on the façade of IA and IB complex. Based on the vertical rhythm, the design uses its intervals as a module to form square windows spanning 2/4/6 intervals, echoing the square windows in the atrium and creating dynamic changes on the facade.

By precisely controlling colors, materials, proportions, and craft details, the Research Center ZGH not only harmonizes with the campus environment, but also showcases its unique identity as a cutting-edge research center.