A campus for top research

2nd prize for ATP in the competition for the design of a new laboratory and research building

The biopharmaceutical research institute TRON gGmbH (Translational Oncology) is planning a new laboratory and research center for personalized therapies for fighting cancer and other serious diseases on the campus of the University Medical Center Mainz. As part of an architectural and urban planning ideas and concept phase, ATP architects engineers Frankfurt was awarded 2nd place in a two-stage qualification process involving five invited offices.

Urban planning 
ATP’s design concept reacts to the heterogeneous urban situation with a striking figure that will underline the identity of and mark the start of the realization of the new campus of the University Medical Center Mainz. With its rhombic form and open, transparent facade design, the building also enjoys a powerful presence from afar. The TRON Plaza, a richly designed public space, occupies the area between the buildings of the first and second phases.

Space for innovative research
The attractive working environment of the state-of-the-art laboratories and offices and the light-filled communication islands encourage exchange and networking amongst the researchers. The flexible laboratory system guarantees continuous value creation and the sustainable efficiency of the building.


 

Energy recycling
The technical concept aims to create a climate-positive building. The centerpiece is the hybrid timber and concrete loadbearing structure, which will significantly reduce total emissions. Energy recycling, the optimal use of energy flows, and a large-scale PV plant eliminate all operational emissions and create an overall carbon sink. The building addresses all the objectives of the EU Green Deal (circular economy, protection of water resources, environmental protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation, protection of the ecosystem).

 

TRON (Translational Oncology) is a biopharmaceutical research institute founded by Uğur Şahin, Özlem Türeci, and Christoph Huber, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, University Medical Center Mainz, and the State of Rheinland-Pfalz. It will host research into immune-based therapies such as RNA vaccines and cell therapies in cooperation with BioNTech SE. The institute represents a link between university-based research, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry.