Cornerstone Ceremony for the Max Planck House

New center for the scientific community on the Max Planck Campus

In a festive act, the foundation stone of the Max Planck House (MPH) was unveiled on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. The celebration marks the official start of the construction of a modern center for events and visitors, located in the very center of the Max Planck Campus Tübingen.

The opening address was given by Angelika Malinowski, who, as head of the construction department of the Max Planck Society, is particularly committed to sustainable energy management. With smart building technology ensuring high energy efficiency, the Max Planck Society strives to meet the growing demands for ecologically and economically sustainable building management. The new MPH is aiming for Gold certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).  

Cord Soehlke, First Mayor and Director of Planning for the city, emphasized: "It is very important for Tübingen as a science location that its research facilities get equipped with innovative infrastructure adapted to the needs of the employees."

He was followed on the list of speakers by Albrecht Randecker from the architectural office h4a, which had designed the new MPH. In addition to an auditorium, a conference room, and a library, the new building will also house 28 guest rooms, a canteen, and a café with an outdoor area, complemented by an administrative wing. The old MPH, inaugurated in 1962, had been demolished at the beginning of 2022 to make room for the new building.

"The new Max Planck House will become the centerpiece of our unique research community, driving the coming together of the Institutes for Biology, Biological Cybernetics, and Intelligent Systems,” Managing Director of the MPH Moritz Hardt highlighted. Together with Sonja Krainhöfner, head of the MPH, Hardt then unveiled the cornerstone.

Afterwards, the 60 invited guests gathered over coffee and cake for a personal exchange. The completion of the MPH building is scheduled for 2025.