NCT New Building and Expansion

Heidelberg, Germany

NCT New Building and Expansion

Heidelberg, Germany

The National Center for Tumor Diseases NCT in Heidelberg is a joint project by German Cancer Aid, the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, and Heidelberg University Hospital. The NCT’s newly constructed building was inaugurated in 2010 and houses a combination of interdisciplinary medical care and clinically oriented cancer research under one roof, creating a space in which patients, doctors, and scientists can mingle and meet. Due to the positive feedback and the requirement for additional space, the new design provides the possibility for an expansion in the form of an annex to the existing laboratory and a new building to the north of the day clinic area. Both buildings will have three floors and cover a usable area of approx. 2,600 m².

In formal and material terms, the three-story annex is conceived as a continuation of the existing laboratory wing. The color shades and the clear arrangement of the existing facade are continued in the new expansion. Only a few sections depart from the formally strict pattern of the laboratory wing. On the entrance level there are extension areas for the Phase I Unit. These essentially consist of ten new therapy rooms as well as examination and consulting rooms. The upper two floors are conceived of as laboratory areas only.

The new building to the north of the existing one is a freestanding detached wooden building with three floors. The rectangular construction is 59 m long and built parallel to the adjacent main road. It is integrated formally into the existing context and at the same time supplements the material variety of the glass, plaster, and steel already present. In the southwestern part of the building the individual floors are offset, and part of the top floor can be used as a terrace. The main entrance is situated to the south, diagonally opposite that of the existing building, and can be accessed via the newly created courtyard and square. All levels are designed solely as office space. On the third floor, individual work spaces with two to three work desks are combined with a larger office area to create an open-plan environment.

  • Location

    Heidelberg, Germany

  • Client

    DKFZ Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum

  • Architect

    Behnisch Architekten

  • Design

    2017-2023

  • Completion

    2023

  • Gross

    5.140 qm / 55,327 sq.ft.

  • Volume

    24.058 cbm / 849,608 cu.ft.