Preclinical Centre for Molecular Signaling PZMS, Homburg

Urban and spatial qualities

The design takes up the orthogonal features of the neighbouring building, thus perfectly rounding off the urban setting. From the southern access road the main entrance is accessed via a barrier-free ramp with stairs and sitting-steps set into the slope’s terraces. The building’s ground floor interweaves with the exterior space and the slope, providing a base for the horizontal, “flying“ structure of the upper levels. In this way it reacts with a distinctive design to its special situation on the slope.

Access, circulation and orientation

The inner circulation is organised in a vertical central space with open stairways, an elevator and adjoining meeting and communication spaces. From here, the circular corridor within the organisational units is zoned by daylight coming from the lightcourts. The visitor can enjoy short distances and clear orientation. For safety, the individual functional areas can easily be separated and controlled. In particular, the laboratories can be accessed by their own, separable corridors.

Structuring, grouping and connecting the functional areas

The organisational units are arranged horizontally, allowing them to be connected in a continuous space on one level. As the Animal Facility is set into the slope it is not perceived from the exterior nor from the interior framework of the building. The garden court also allows daylight to filter through this level half set in the slope. The four staircases designed to be fire escapes in the first place provide short and varied vertical connections. The open stairway located in the middle of the building makes a central, attractive space connecting PZMS’s principal communicative areas.