History Meets the Future: Beyer Building handed over to TU Dresden fol-lowing renovation, modernization, and conversion

State-of-the-art conditions for research, teaching and study

Following extensive renovation and modernization in line with heritage requirements, the Beyer Building on the Dresden University Campus was officially handed over to TUD Dresden University of Technology (TUD) today. The historic building was constructed according to plans by architect Martin Dülfer and inaugurated in 1913. It is one of the oldest and most distinctive buildings on the main campus and is closely tied to the history of civil engineering and geosciences.

Since 2018, the Beyer Building has undergone extensive renovation in order to centralize the Faculty of Civil Engineering and permanently anchor the Department of Geosciences at the location. The total construction costs amount to around EUR 76.5 million, of which around EUR 8.2 million comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Free State of Saxony provided the lion's share of around EUR 68.3 million.

Minister of Finance Christian Piwarz praised the project: "With the ceremonial handover of the Beyer Building, we are making a visible statement of the connection between tradition and modernity.  The historic 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 requirements for research and teaching in the future and remain a central part of the TUD campus.”

Minister of Science 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 formative for many generations of students to come. The modernized Beyer Building provides ideal conditions for excellent teaching and innovative research. I am delighted that, thanks to financial support from the EU, this renovation will result in CO2 savings for the buildings at our TU Dresden.“

Jan Gerken, Chancellor of TUD, referred to the great significance of the building for the university: ”Today, we are able to take back the Beyer Building, with its Lohrmann Observatory tower visible from afar, as a renovated gem. Following the Fritz Foerster Building, another central building in our long history has been preserved and, at the same time, reopened for future generations of students and researchers. And so, after reconstruction and conversion into a modern laboratory unit, 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 once again be usable in the future as a hydromechanical teaching laboratory. The Beyer Building thus tells the story of our tradition – and at the same time points the way to the future. "

Modern, energy-efficient university building with historical substance.
 

© André Wirsig

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 for Mechanics and Shell Structures, Building Construction, Construction Management, Construction Informatics, Hydraulic Engineering and Technical Hydromechanics, Concrete Structures, Geotechnics, and Steel Construction are located here. The Dean's Office of Civil Engineering and the Faculty Computer Center are also located here.

The southeast entrance was redesigned to become the new main entrance to the Beyer Building, and the 41-meter-high tower with the Lohrmann Observatory was also renovated. Its original shape has been preserved, complemented by modern glass facades and lightweight construction elements. Historic lecture halls were renovated, inner courtyards were built over, and the connecting building was raised, creating additional office space.

The general renovation also included fire protection measures, the renewal of building services, the installation of modern data technology, and extensive energy efficiency measures such as interior insulation, a new heating and cooling station, and the reinforcement of historic ceilings with carbon concrete. Despite complex structural challenges such as undersized foundations and the discovery of hazardous materials, the historic substance was preserved while at the same time creating a modern, energy-efficient university building.

The construction project was carried out by the Dresden II branch of the state-owned company Sächsisches Immobilien- und Baumanagement (SIB). SIB took on the planning, coordination, and implementation of the complex construction project and ensured that both the listed substance and the new requirements for a modern university building were optimally taken into account.

Media contact:
Saxon State Ministry of Finance
Dirk Reelfs, Press Officer
Phone +49 351 564 40060