Other public buildings
Nominated for the Brillux Design Award 2025
In the existing premises of the Faculty of Architecture, a small gem was created after the existing building fabric had been demolished. The new Materials Library is a knowledge repository for innovative building materials of the past, present and future.
The color concept is structured in light-dark contrasts. The space designed includes a gallery, which is accessed via a spiral staircase. The white wall and ceiling areas were painted using Vitasil 9009, a healthy, preservative-free Sol-silicate paint.
Reference project: KIT Materials Library, Karlsruhe
The newly designed Materials Library of the Faculty of Architecture at KIT Karlsruhe combines a historic building fabric, circular materials and a precisely coordinated color concept. The entire space was intentionally kept bright to dematerialize the architecture through the use of muted colors, thereby clearly directing attention to what truly matters here: the collection of building materials.
The fixtures, furniture and library shelves are a deep matt anthracite, finished with Impredur Silk Matt Enamel 880. This deliberate dark contrast makes the material samples literally shine. Together with the indirect lighting of the coffered ceilings and the white room surfaces (designed for a healthy environment with the preservative-free Sol-silicate paint Vitasil 9009), this creates a calm, focused atmosphere that encourages learning, research and experimentation.
The color concept is not only a visual style tool, but also creates a functional structure: it sets out clear zones, supports the flexible use of the space and conveys the design philosophy behind the project. The white-coated building elements reflect the light, visually expand the space and allude to the themes of transparency and circularity – a powerful design statement for the future of construction.
All items of furniture in the room are an elegant anthracite color. They show off the material samples to their best advantage and are finished with a durable coating of Impredur Silk Matt Enamel 880. The parquet floor also received a durable, transparent coating of Lacryl-PU Parquet Sealant 342.
