ECOMAT Center for Eco-efficient Materials and Technologies

The ECOMAT Research and Technology Center was conceived in the new „Airport - City of Bremen“ to unite the outstanding scientific and economic expertise in material technology and lightweight construction in aviation, which were widely scattered throughout the city. The new building presents itself as a modest, clearly structured urban block, providing an open, linear building for profound research on new materials. Vertical aluminium lamella elements, which give the building an almost immaterial and - in line with the research topic of „lightweight construction“ - a rather weightless appearance, create the surface of the façade.

The linear structure of the buildings offers ideal docking points for a future extension or additional functions in the northwest part of the urban block. Viewed from the elevated highway bridge, the dynamic sequence of the three linear building blocks is evident. The design follows the main specifications of the urban planning concept for the airport city, the so-called Machleidt-Plan, and refers to the small-scale nature of this urban design. The new laboratory building reacts adequately and, despite its size, proves to be a serving urban module.

The new research center is vertically layered into a 3-story base consisting of two levels of laboratories with a technical mezzanine in between and two office floors above. The compact building base is structured by two striking inner courtyards, which ensure optimal light and air conditions inside the building. The linear arrangement of rooms and functions with the large laboratory halls in between generate short distances for staff circulation and an excellent functionality of the building with high flexibility.