Cafeteria IZS

The Fraunhofer Institute Center (Fraunhofer IZS) in Stuttgart serves as one of the biggest research centers in Germany. Due to the center’s expansion, the cafeteria on the premises had to cater for four times as many people compared to its date of origin, which made a reconstruction necessary. Therefore, we tore down the complete main floor building and built a new cafeteria landscape, which formally detaches from the existing building because of its rounded corners. The cafeteria will also shape connecting footpaths that sometimes narrow and sometimes widen. The construction process took place while the building and the canteen above still operating. We built not only a modern looking, bigger cafeteria, but also a space for informal communication between staff. While the kitchen and side rooms could stay, we completely redesigned the output area and the delivery to maximize user friendliness as well as economic efficiency. Despite the cafeteria’s growth with many more seats and space, we managed to keep it a rather relaxing place by adding acoustical ceilings to minimize noise. They also have aesthetic value, which is created by their round shape and by hanging them in three different heights.