BACKGROUND
- Opening: 6 December 2007
- Idea, planning and construction supported by TU Darmstadt, the city of Darmstadt and its government
- The architects: Talik Chalabi and Paul Schröder (fs-architekten)
- It is named after the chemical element darmstadtium (Ds110), which was discovered in 1994 at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt
- The names of the rooms are also taken from or inspired by the periodic table of the elements
The element darmstadtium (ds 110)
The science and congress centre darmstadtium takes its name from the element of the same name (Ds, 110). The element was discovered at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt. In 1994, lead and nickel ions were melted together at high speed. This created the element darmstadtium with atomic number 110 on the periodic table.
This makes Darmstadt’s congress centre clearly connected to both the city of Darmstadt and science, while also making the international importance of the city obvious. Darmstadt is the only German city after which an element is named.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
A new building atop old walls: The outer part of the old city wall was already known, but previously unknown parts of a historical fortification from the 14th century were discovered underground during the construction work. This structure was integrated into the building in accordance with preservation requirements and is now partially accessible to the public via the atrium entrance foyer.
Darmstadtia, the patron saint of the city of Darmstadt, also stands in the building. The sandstone figure, with its crenellated crown, sword and shield with the Darmstadt coat of arms, was created in the 19th century by the Hessian sculptor, painter and draughtsman Johann Baptist Scholl the Younger (1818-1881). Since 2013 the monument has been located in the rear area of the entrance foyer, where it can be viewed.
SCIENCE AND THE DARMSTADTIUM
The darmstadtium is a building on an edge – it stands on the Rhine Valley Fault (the ridge between the crystalline rock of the Odenwald and sediments of the Upper Rhine Valley). Posts and a thick foundation plate in the subsoil ensure that the congress centre nevertheless stands on solid ground. Our exceptional location in the city centre has made us interesting to researchers. We support several research projects as an active partner and cooperate with a variety of scientific and municipal institutions.
There is a geoscientific measuring station underground that measures even minimal tectonic movements. The measuring station, the only one of its kind in Europe, is not accessible to visitors. However, anyone interested can obtain information from a monitor in the entrance foyer. The congress centre is also one of several locations in Darmstadt where possible effects of mobile phone radiation on tree health are being investigated.
A “CityTree” – a biotech fine dust filter that combines the natural air-purifying effect of moss with state-of-the-art IoT technology – stands in the square in front of the darmstadtium. The innovative air filtration system from the start-up Green City Solutions can clean, cool and humidify about 3,500 m³ of air per hour – the equivalent of the breathing volume of about 7,000 people. It simultaneously serves as a seating surface and provides environmental data in real time. The CityTree is an example of smart solutions in the digital city of Darmstadt that bring together sustainability and digitalisation in urban spaces.
SUSTAINABILITY PAR EXCELLENCE
- Even the building’s exterior features are bold and impressive, with its many slanting surfaces. This is not merely an architectural feature – it also serves to avoid the entry of direct sunlight, despite 80% of the building’s surfaces being flooded with daylight.
- The calla – not just an eye-catcher: The funnel-shaped flower made of glass and steel is used in many ways to save resources: Rainwater collection (use for sanitation and green spaces, cooling), daylight down to the underground car park, fresh air supply.
- Accessibility for everyone: With ramps and lifts, all areas are easily accessible – even for people with physical disabilities.
- Mixture of materials – sustainability played an important role from the start in the building’s design. Steel and glass, which make up a large proportion of the materials used for the building, are visible straight away. The façade consists of Dorfer green slate, while natural stone and bamboo parquet flooring are used inside much of the building.
- Energy and resource efficiency – from thermal storage of the building concrete to the use of ground heat, heat recovery and the woodchip power plant, the solar panels and the electric charging station.
- All stationary carbon emissions at the congress centre are compensated by our climate partner ENTEGA.
- The first DGNB-certified congress centre (“German Sustainable Building Council” – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen e.V.)
- First place in the “Office and Environment” competition organised by B.A.U.M. e.V. in 2014 and third place in 2019 (in the “Companies with up to 500 employees” category)
- First German congress centre with EMASplus certification for an advanced, holistic sustainability concept
DARMSTADTIUM IN NUMBERS
| Total usable space | 18.000 sqm |
| Excavation | 90.000 cubic metres |
| Concrete | 35.000 cubic metres, for which 4,500 concrete mixers were required |
| Subterranean channel | 3.000 sqm |
| Tank | 200 cubic metres |
| Restaurant | 80 seats in the restaurant (ground floor), 50 seats at the wine bar (first floor) |
| Underground car park | 454 parking spaces plus connection to additional areas; area: 8,000 sqm |
| Investment volume | Overall construction costs were ultimately 93.5 million euros (including congress hall ferrum) |
TECHNOLOGY
- WiFi ac standard, fast internet connection – excellent IT infrastructure
- Latest multimedia technology in all rooms
- “eduroam” WiFi network for scientific events
- 110 minutes of complimentary WiFi for guests
- For its first-class digital infrastructure, which is continuously improved, the darmstadtium received the INCON Digital Infrastructure Award in 2014 and 2019
From international conferences, meetings, production presentations, AGMs or trade fairs – the darmstadtium Science and Congress Centre can offer you the best conditions, regardless of the type of event being planned.
VENUE SPACE OFFERS
- spectrum congress hall with 1,302 m² and up to 1,677 seats – can be divided into three parts and used both flat and with a sloping auditorium
- ferrum congress hall with 650 m², accommodates 383 people in a tiered seating arrangement with foldaway business tables
- 21 flexibly combinable conference rooms accommodating up to 1,300 people in various sizes and capacities
- darmstadtium lounge for exclusive events with up to 140 people
- A total of 3,700 m² of light-flooded foyer space for accompanying exhibitions, as catering space or for an evening event – including the 900 m² atrium entrance foyer with integrated old city wall and the “Calla”
