Study Center Montanuniversität

A specialised university focusing on mining, metallurgy and materials science, the Montanuniversität in Leoben is expanding. To meet the demands of the growth of the university and to offer new education infrastructure to the students, a new student center was planned. It host three new lecture halls for one thousand students, administration offices and shared working spaces for the students to communicate and learn.

The new four-story building is planned with reinforced concrete slabs, walls, columns and stabilising cores. In order to keep the interior spaces column-free, the columns are predominantly situated in the façade. The position of the façade columns is optimised using a computer algorithm. The columns together with a continuous parapet on all floors allow the vertical takedown of the loads in the façade, especially in the cantilevering corners of the building.