Customer

ESO – European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere

About ESO

ESO is the leading international organization for astronomy in Europe and the most productive astronomical observatory of the world. It is funded by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United kingdom. ESO manage demanding programmes worldwide e.g. design, construction and operation of high performance observatories which give astronomers the possibility to make important discoveries.

 

The ESO headquarters in Garching bei München are the centre for science, technology and administration. Here technical developments are made that ensure the observatories are equipped with the best and most progressive observation instruments. Also base here is the Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility (ST-ECF) which is a joint venture between ESO and the European Space Agency (ESA). It provides support and services primarily to European observers of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

 

 

Location

Garching bei München (DE)

Date

June 2010

Concept

The headquarters in Garching is being expanded to increase the working capacity. To bridge the four years of construction, a temporary office building was required.

Implementation

After completion of the strip foundations a 2 storey building comprising 122 containers was constructed in 3 days. Two cranes were used to meet the scheduled delivery of four containers per hour. A secondary roof made from steel girders & corrugated aluminium sheet provides extra insulation and weather protection. An attika finishes off the overall appearance.

 

The building is fitted with cable channel and is carpeted throughout with the exception of the toilet facilities which are tiled wall to ceiling with all the plumbing hidden in dwarf walls. The air conditioned conference rooms are fitted with technical details such as dimmable  mirror screen lighting, projector screens and projectors. A fire alarm system & emergency exit signage offer security. After the building was completed, 1 hectare of the surrounding land was landscaped and partially paved.

Specifics

• Complete order processing and documentation in English
• High safety requirements

Partners

Schmidt Bau GmbH, Bernau (DE)
Fleck Raumgestaltung, Waldshut (DE)
Sanitär & Blechnerei Pfeiffer, Remtschwiel (DE)
Berthold Matt Schreinerei, Schachen (DE)
Elektro Leber, Weilheim (DE)
HESITEC Sicherheitstechnik, Gengenbach (DE)

Below you can see pictures of the site during the construction phase and some initial 3D simulations of the project. Click on a picture to enlarge.