Virtual Engineering Competence Centre, Mannheim Read more

The new Competence Centre for Virtual Engineering was built on the campus of the University of Applied Sciences across from the premises of cooperative–partner John Deere. The core of the Competence Centre is a so–called cave that is used for three–dimensional projections of objects and environments, which are experienced by viewers as if they were real. This cave enabled the play between reality and illusion to become the central topic of design. In developing the glass facade, the familiar pavilion typology obtains three levels of perception: transparency, reflection and projection. Depending on the lighting conditions outside, the view of the building’s interior either becomes visible, is replaced by the reflection of the exterior environment or is overlain with projections, which are cast on the the window panes from inside. This one–storey pavilion is articulated by different–sized cubes, whose elementary form and dark surface stand in stark contrast to the light–coloured floor and make the pavilion appear as an abstraction of real space. The cave’s structural shell is embedded in the ground and stands out above the pavilion’s roof plane. A visitor area, multimedia room, university office and student workroom supplement the space.