Brickwork of the Old Central Library is Being Removed

Once the former Central Library had been gutted and specialists had removed any materials containing hazardous substances from the structure, the demolition company began “gnawing away” at the old masonry on 20 November: Special excavators are pulling the building down, starting with the façade. To ensure the building materials are recycled in a sustainable manner, they are sorted according to an inventory during the dismantling process, confirms BLB NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia’s building and real estate management authority). New recycled concrete is being produced from around 21,000 tons of reinforced concrete. Around 1,000 tons of metals and the roof gravel will be put to a new use. Almost 300 tons of sand-lime bricks will be used to make new bricks. 400 tons of supports and 95 tons of material from the external staircase will also be recycled. To conserve resources, parts removed when the building was gutted in the previous months are to be reused whenever possible: around 1,500 fluorescent tubes, 2,500 electrical sockets and almost 4,500 meters of cable ducts, for example.

To reduce nuisance from dust and noise during the work as far as possible, workers spray water on the demolished material, which is then transported away from the campus in larger pieces and crushed elsewhere. To minimize disruption to traffic, construction vehicles park on Universitätsstraße and only drive to the building site when instructed to do so. BLB NRW measures vibrations during the demolition work. Demolition above ground is expected to be completed by summer 2025, deconstruction of the basement will then follow.

New building as a modern place for learning

Once demolition has been completed, the new University Library will be built on the same central spot on campus. A new building was planned because the old one, erected in 1976, was highly inefficient in terms of energy consumption and retrofitting it would have been uneconomical. The new library will be built to comply with “Energy Efficiency Standard 40” and can use renewable energy in order to meet the climate targets of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Over the course of time, the library has also become increasingly important as a place to learn and meet up. That is why the new nine-story building will provide space not only for up to 1 million books but also for around 1,500 modern study spaces to support both individual and group learning formats. The building will also house a central service point for students and guests. A cafeteria and the University Bookshop will also move into the new building.

Further information from BLB NRW about the construction

You can find the latest information about the new library building and replacement services during the construction work in the FAQs on the website and on the University Library’s blog. There is also a webcam so you can see how construction work is progressing.

Note: This report was first published on 21 November and has been continuously updated and supplemented, most recently on 19 December.