Groundbreaking for new Earth and Environmental Sciences building

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Today’s sod-turning ceremony inaugurates the construction of a new facility for the earth and environmental sciences. In addition to five LMU teaching and research units – geology; paleontology and geobiology; mineralogy and petrology; crystallography; and geophysics – the Bavarian state collections in the geosciences will also be moving to Schillerstrasse 44. A strikingly novel feature of the building is the Forum of Geosciences, which will afford a close-up experience of the geosciences – for visitors and also for students and researchers. It will afford a glimpse behind the scenes of modern research and studying – with exhibitions, interactive workshops, guided tours, and presentations.

“We’re delighted to have turned the sod today for a state-of-the-art teaching and research building in the geosciences. This new building is of great importance for our Faculty of Geosciences and offers our students and scientists outstanding studying and working conditions for their socially valuable and highly relevant research. Sharing this geographical space with the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology and the Bavarian State Collection for Mineralogy offers ideal conditions for continuing these longstanding successful collaborations and for shared future projects. Meanwhile, the pioneering Forum of Geosciences will offer visitors direct insight into research practice,” says LMU President Professor Bernd Huber.

Minister for Science Markus Blume: “A 335-million-euro groundbreaking for LMU – and the inauguration of a new era: The mega-project at the heart of downtown Munich is creating a new home for the earth and environmental sciences. At the same time, we’re making a bold statement in terms of urban planning. We’re investing a third of a billion euros in the very best research infrastructure and building a connection between the train station district and the medical neighborhood. The geosciences investigate the natural foundations of life on this planet and are more important than ever. Moreover, the new building is a key component of the physical restructuring of LMU and implementation of the master plan. As such, LMU and all of Munich stand to benefit!”

Making research accessible

“With the new building and the associated capabilities, the Faculty of Geosciences, which encompasses the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Geography, can purposefully continue on its successful path in Munich and expand on its leading international position. I’m particularly glad that the open design of the building will give people a concrete sense of the scientific work we do and make our research accessible in the truest sense of the word,” says Professor Matthias Garschagen, Dean, Faculty of Geosciences.

“Our department thinks and researches globally, and we’re proud that Munich is a place where the big geoscientific questions are comprehensively tackled. To solve the complex challenges of our time, experts from many different disciplines need to work together. Our new building will be a beacon to promote these synergies and draw people here,” says Professor Donald Bruce Dingwell, Director of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Understanding the Earth system

LMU’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is devoted to the complex task of understanding the Earth system in its totality. It comprises the full spectrum of geoscientific disciplines – geology; paleontology & geobiology; mineralogy; crystallography; and geophysics – and is closely connected to the Bavarian state collections for mineralogy and for paleontology and geobiology.

The research centers on the dynamics and interactions of processes on Earth, which have acquired an additional dimension due to climate change. Within this context, the geoscientists address a broad range of fundamental and applied questions: from the origins of life to the development of climate and the Earth’s surface; from the building blocks of matter to geological processes such as earthquakes and vulcanism; and from the structure of Earth’s interior to questions of raw material and energy supply. A key element is the interdisciplinary approach, whereby expertise from the domains of biology, chemistry, and physics is allied with geoscientific findings. These multifaceted research approaches enable researchers to obtain deep insights into the Earth system and respond to the challenges of a changing world.

New building with laboratories

The new building will have about 17,000 square meters of floor space for around 520 students and around 140 scientists. In addition to office, administration, and laboratory rooms for paleontology, geology, mineralogy, and geophysics, there will be 1,600 square meters of exhibition space as well as storage rooms, special laboratories, a library, workshops for preparing rocks, and more.

The Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology and the Bavarian State Collection for Mineralogy are part of the Bavarian State Collections of Natural History. They house fossils and minerals that tell stories from the history of the solar system and the Earth going back around 4.5 billion years. Scientists have access there to valuable source materials for modern research, while curious members of the public of all ages can immerse themselves in the realm of crystals and fossils in exhibitions and special events.

LMU’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences includes all geoscientific disciplines, from geology, paleontology, and geobiology to mineralogy and crystallography, to geophysics. The department has close links with the two state collections and the geoscientific subjects at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). This structure is one of a kind in Germany and facilitates comprehensive interdisciplinary work.

The spectacular design of the building comes from Gerber Architekten.

For more information, see:

Staatliches Bauamt München 2 (German only): Neubau Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften