May 08, 2024
A quiet place for reflection during the hubbub of everyday life: TU Dresden opens "Retreat"
Pause, recharge your batteries, meditate or pray - the newly established “Retreat” at TU Dresden is the perfect place to do just that.
Take a break, recharge your batteries, meditate or pray – from May 6, 2024, you can do all that in the designated setting of the newly established "Retreat" at TU Dresden. University members can leave their offices, labs and lecture halls behind for a moment of inner contemplation in peaceful silence.
"Our ‘Retreat’ provides members and guests of TU Dresden with a non-denominational, artistically designed space to withdraw to, inviting inner reflection and contemplation. The open concept is intended to support the diversity of our university and its members," says TUD Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger, on whose initiative the Retreat at TU Dresden has been created.
The design of the room reflects this open approach. The furniture is deliberately minimalist and largely free of stimuli, to give users as much freedom as possible when it comes to how to spend their break. A comfortable armchair, stools and rugs create a relaxing atmosphere.
At the opening of the "Retreat" from left: Prof. Ursula Staudinger, Volker Pohl, Prof. Roswitha Böhm and Prof. Henning Haupt.
A large-painting, the "Blur of Silence" by Henning Haupt, painter and Professor of Foundations in Art and Architecture at the Faculty of Architecture at TU Dresden, stretches across the entire front wall of the room. This abstract work, a pure impression of light and color, expands the physical "Retreat" and invites you to trace the delicate color transitions, the interchange between light and shade, and the dynamics of the painter’s brush stroke while giving free rein to your associations. The work belongs to the extensive cluster of collections of building-related art in the holdings of TU Dresden's Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections, and points to the close relationship between teaching and the production of art in Dresden.
The "Retreat" is located in the Fritz Foerster Building on the Südvorstadt campus. The extensive renovation of this historic building has just received the German University Building Award.
The Retreat is fully accessible and open on weekdays during the opening hours of the ServiceCenterStudies. The room (E78) can be used by one person alone or by up to three people at the same time. You do not need to reserve the room in advance.
The "Retreat" was established by the Directorate University Culture in collaboration with architect Volker Pohl and the Directory Facility Management. It was financed by the Association of Friends and Sponsors of TU Dresden.
Detailed information:
Retreat: https://tu-dresden.de/tu-dresden/universitaetskultur/campusleben/raum-der-stille
Directorate University Culture: https://tu-dresden.de/tu-dresden/universitaetskultur
Chair of Foundations in Art and Architecture: https://tu-dresden.de/bu/architektur/ifge/gl
Art collections of TUD’s Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections: https://tu-dresden.de/kustodie/sammlungen-kunstbesitz/kunstbesitz
Media inquiries:
Sonja Piotrowski
Directorate 9 – University Culture
Campus Life Advisor
Tel.: +49 351 463-40314