Oct 17, 2025
History meets the future: Beyer building handed over to TU Dresden after renovation, modernization and conversion
From left to right: Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow, Minister of Finance Christian Piwarz, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Birgit Beckmann, Dean of the TUD Faculty of Civil Engineering, and TUD Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger at the symbolic handover of the keys.
State-of-the-art conditions for research, teaching and studies
Following extensive refurbishment and modernization in keeping with its listed status, the Beyer Building on the Dresden University campus was officially handed over to the TUD Dresden University of Technology (TUD) today. The historic building was designed by architect Martin Dülfer and inaugurated in 1913. It is one of the oldest and most striking buildings on the main campus and is closely linked to the history of civil engineering and geosciences.
Since 2018, the Beyer Building has been undergoing a general refurbishment in order to centralize the Faculty of Civil Engineering and permanently anchor the Department of Geosciences at the site. The total construction costs amounted to around 76.5 million euros, of which around 8.2 million euros came from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Free State of Saxony provided the lion's share of around 68.3 million euros.
Finance Minister Christian Piwarz praised the project: "With the ceremonial handover of the Beyer building, we are sending a visible signal for the combination of tradition and modernity. Historical building fabric has been preserved, contemporary technology has been integrated and the course has been set for excellent research and teaching. As the client, we are delighted that the Beyer Building will meet modern research and teaching requirements in the future and remain a central component of the TUD campus."
Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow emphasized: "With the renovation of the Beyer Building, we are investing in the future of research and teaching. At the same time, we are preserving a piece of scientific and architectural history that will remain influential for many generations of students. The modernized Beyer Building offers ideal conditions for excellent teaching and innovative research. I am delighted that, thanks to the financial support from the EU, this refurbishment will save CO2 emissions in our TU Dresden buildings."
Jan Gerken, Chancellor of the TUD, pointed out the great importance of the building for the university: " Today we are able to take over the Beyer Building with its Lohrmann Observatory tower, visible from afar, as a renovated gem for use again. After the Fritz Foerster Building, another central building from our long history has thus been preserved and at the same time reopened for future generations of students and researchers. The Hubert-Engels-Laboratory, which was founded in 1898 as the world's first permanent river engineering laboratory and is considered Europe's oldest hydraulic engineering laboratory, will also be reused as a hydromechanical teaching laboratory in the future following its reconstruction and conversion into a modern laboratory unit. The Beyer building thus tells of our tradition - and at the same time points the way to the future."
Modern, energy-efficient university building with historical substance
History meets the future: the Beyer building after renovation, viewed from above.
History meets the future: top view of the Beyer building after renovation.
The Beyer Building offers modern work and teaching rooms, laboratories, PC pools, practice and seminar rooms as well as lecture halls. The Faculty of Civil Engineering with its Institutes of Mechanics and Shell Structures, Building Construction, Building Management, Civil Informatics, Hydraulic Engineering and Technical Hydromechanics, Solid Construction, Geotechnical Engineering and Steel Construction is located here. The Dean's Office Civil Engineering and the Faculty Computer Center are also located here.
The south-east entrance was redesigned as the new main entrance to the Beyer Building, and the 41-metre high tower with the Lohrmann Observatory was also renovated. Its original form was retained, supplemented by modern glass façade and lightweight construction elements. Historic lecture halls were renovated, inner courtyards were built over and the connecting building was extended, creating additional office space.
The general refurbishment also included fire protection measures, the renewal of the building services, the installation of modern data technology and extensive energy measures such as interior insulation, a new heating and cooling center and the reinforcement of historic ceilings with carbon concrete. Despite complex structural challenges such as undersized foundations and the discovery of harmful substances, it was possible to preserve the historical substance and at the same time create a modern, energy-efficient university building.
The construction project was carried out by the Dresden II branch of the Saxon State Office for Real Estate and Construction Management (SIB). The SIB was responsible for the planning, coordination and implementation of the complex construction project and ensured that both the listed structure and the new requirements for a modern university building were optimally taken into account.
Contact for media:
Saxon State Ministry of Finance
Dirk Reelfs, Press Officer
Phone +49 351 564 40060