The new building, known as the Campus Gateway, will primarily house the Berufskolleg für Technik und Gestaltung (College of Technology and Design) (btg), which prepares more than 2,500 students for careers and further education in fields such as engineering, media and design. The college maintains close links with industry and the skilled trades and plays a central role in developing the region’s future workforce.

In addition to btg, further functions are planned for the central campus building. The Chamber of Industry and Commerce intends to lease space, while new initiatives such as a maker space, campus dining facilities and a competence centre for career guidance are also being developed.

“With this building, we are creating the gateway to the Gelsenkirchen Education and Innovation Campus, which will become a hallmark of our city,” Andrea Henze continues. “The campus will increase the visibility of vocational education and innovation support while strengthening our overall offer. Above all, however, it must be said today that the construction of this winning design will create a significant urban landmark.”

The City of Gelsenkirchen launched an architectural competition to realise its ambitious plans. More than 40 teams took part, and following a multi-stage selection process, C.F. Møller Architects, headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark, was chosen as the winner.

“The proposal by C.F. Møller Architects impressed us through its architectural quality, its clear urban design concept and its ability to bring together vocational education and public life,” says Christoph Heidenreich, Gelsenkirchen’s Head of Urban Development. “The design achieves both: it creates a place that is open to the wider community while giving the incoming btg college a strong identity of its own.”

At the heart of the building designed by C.F. Møller Architects is an open ground floor that will serve as an accessible anchor point connecting the campus with the city and its community. According to the plans, public functions such as workshops, a central campus meeting point and the main entrance will be arranged around a spacious foyer, encouraging encounters and interaction between students, visitors and external partners.

“By opening up the ground floor and creating strong visual connections throughout the building, we are establishing a transparent and welcoming learning environment. The upper floors provide specialised teaching facilities combined with flexible zones that support a variety of learning formats and interdisciplinary collaboration,” says Julian Weyer, Partner and Architect at C.F. Møller Architects.

“The winning design aligns almost perfectly with what we aim to achieve at the College of Technology and Design,” explains Dr Uwe Krakau, Principal of btg. “We want to give students across different programmes the opportunity to learn as independently as possible while providing the best possible support. These spaces will make that very achievable.”