Brick by Brick – Goethe University’s expansion continues

Construction cranes are working ceaselessly on three campuses, Westend, Riedberg and Niederrad; the Goethe University Frankfurt expansion is moving ahead with giant steps. In 2010, more than 300 million euros (422 million dollars) were invested in new constructions on the natural sciences’ Riedberg campus in north-west Frankfurt, and on the Westend campus – “Germany’s most beautiful campus”.

The new, state-of-the-art buildings on the Riedberg campus will be open for operation in time for the 2011/2012 winter semester:

The Otto Stern Center will become the new portal of the campus, which is already the home of the physics, geosciences/geography, biochemistry/chemistry/pharmacy and part of the life sciences faculties. This center, with a lecture hall, a departmental library and a cafeteria with an outdoor area, functions as site-wide infrastructure support.

A new complex is awaiting the life sciences faculty, with space for laboratories and offices, lecture halls, animal housing, a cafeteria as well as seminar and lecture rooms; a greenhouse facility completes the complex. For biologists, the inauguration of the new buildings means they will no longer have to commute between two locations – until the end of the summer semester 2001, some were still located downtown.

In addition to that, there will be up to 100 openings for scientists researching in the Cluster of Excellence “Macromolecular Complexes”. This interdisciplinary research center investigates the structures and mechanisms of macromolecular complexes in membranes and cells, and will also investigate new research methods.

Good news for all students, faculty and staff with little children: A large daycare center will be built with room for 135 children. Since Goethe University has always strived to balance family life with education or a career, the Riedberg campus has, in addition to that, had a – smaller - temporary day-care center since 2009.

And: The Riedberg campus is now much more accessible by public transportation: It just takes 20 minutes from downtown via the new subway connection. The U8 “Uni-Campus Riedberg” subway station is right next to the new lecture hall.