With 'InformatiKOM', the Klaus Tschira Foundation (KTS) is building two new institute buildings for the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). A new type of forum for exchange between the university and society will be created on KIT's South Campus, bringing together institutes of computer science with facilities for science communication and applied cultural studies. In addition to seminar and work rooms for research and teaching, the six-storey main building will have a variety of usable areas for dialog with the public. The smaller 'InformatiKOM 2' adjoins to the east. This will provide KIT with around 10,000 m2 of additional usable space in the immediate vicinity of the main entrance to Campus South, the library and the Audimax.
Construction will begin in spring 2020 and is expected to take three years. Among others, the Robot Design Atelier, which attempts to harmonize the latest AI technology with social needs, other institutes of computer science, the Science-Media-Communication course and the Center for Applied Cultural Studies and Studium Generale (ZAK) will move in.
The core of InformatiKOM, designed by Darmstadt architects Bernhardt + Partner, is the atrium, which extends from the first floor to the fifth floor. Above the open atrium, a transparent air cushion roof guides daylight deep into the building's interior. Three wide foyer staircases connect the open room areas from the first floor to the third floor and also serve as seating areas. The lower foyer staircase will also be used as a grandstand for public lectures and events.
