The new building is lined up to be a joint research facility for the Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI) and Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS). Located a stone’s throw from the University of Bonn’s Institutes for Computer Science, it is intended to absorb SCAI’s Bonn Branch Lab. The center will also provide space for new research activities being mounted by both institutes, focusing on machine-learning algorithms, big AI models, quantum computing and energy-efficient high-performance computing. As far as Bonn is concerned, the project will further strengthen the city’s position in applied AI research and computationally intensive science.
Space for 180 people
€56 million will be needed for construction and initial fitout of the building, which is expected to provide 2,424 square meters of usable space and house around 180 employees. The room-use concept includes flexible offices, hybrid coworking zones and a high-performance computing data center some 800 square meters in size. The new building is aiming to achieve a “silver” quality standard under the Assessment System for Sustainable Building and an energy efficiency class of 40.
At the heart of the winning design is a clear separation of functions, with the data center and offices to be accommodated in two self-contained parts of the building. The smaller of these, on Reinhard-Selten-Straße, will house the data center, with a long office wing behind it. This arrangement will create a forecourt that will open the entrance out toward the street and integrate the building more effectively into the surrounding campus.
A coherent connection to the campus
The jury met in Bonn on May 22 to make its decision. Composed of architecture, planning and construction experts and chaired by Munich architect Professor Ludwig Wappner, it voted unanimously—11 to 0—to crown the Henn design its winner. The panel was particularly impressed with the solution proposed on an urban development level, which will open the new center out toward Reinhard-Selten-Straße, give the entrance a distinct identity and make the building a coherent part of the existing campus. The jury also praised the clear internal organization presented by the building, which enables public areas, offices and internal work zones to be separated easily from one another. The stairwell and main access routes can be found in the connecting section between the data center and the office wing.
Second prize went to BE – Baumschlager Eberle from Berlin, with Leipzig’s Schulz & Schulz in third and special mentions awarded to two other Berlin-based practices, gmp and BHVT. A total of 20 firms entered the closed design competition, which was held in a single stage, with 16 designs ultimately being submitted.
Preliminary planning and conceptual design are slated for August 2026. The NG-HPDAC is aiming to strengthen the link between research and practical applications in the fields of AI, data analysis and high-performance computing to support companies and organizations looking to use data-based processes, AI systems and energy-efficient computing methods.
Media contact:
Prof. Dr. Marc Alexander Schweitzer
Deputy Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing SCAI
Email: marc.alexander.schweitzer@scai.fraunhofer.de
