Project 4: Conversion of Westring 400 into a Student Welcome Center

Participants: Sabine Reisas, Sabrina Lorenz, Julia Eichhorn (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)

At the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU), the conversion of the listed building at Westring 400 is to create a Welcome Center with advisory services and analog and hybrid interaction spaces that can be used in a variety of ways. With its special urban location, the building offers the best conditions as a central contact point to promote exchange on campus, (inter)nationally and with society. Cooperations between schools, universities, non-university institutions, other educational institutions and companies are to be strengthened beyond the physical location and actively shaped by all participants.

As the future operator of the public learning and working spaces, Kiel University Library, in cooperation with CAU’s building management and the rheform project office, is conducting the participation process to survey the needs as well as the working and learning processes of the users for the design of the spaces at Westring 400. Various participation opportunities are intended to give all interested parties the opportunity to create places for encounters and exchange characterized by openness and to develop ideas for innovative digitally supported and hybrid working and learning worlds. The results of the process will be incorporated into an architectural competition.