Haus des Wissens – where knowledge meets community

A living room in the middle of Bochum’s city center?

That’s what the Haus des Wissens will be for Bochum’s urban society once it is completed – a place where people can come together and spend their time however they like. Alone or in community, active or relaxed. The content design of the building will be supported by the joint commitment of the vhs Bochum, the Bochum City Library and us, UniverCity Bochum, and will be further developed in cooperation with other stakeholders. What ideas are already shaping the future meeting place? What can Bochum’s residents already experience? We asked Sarah Köthur, project manager in the Haus des Wissens project office.

What is the idea behind the Haus des Wissens?

The vhs Bochum, the Bochum City Library, the UniverCity knowledge network and a market hall will move into the building. The building will be a third place for all Bochum residents. A place that is open to everyone, with a high quality of stay and without consumerism. The green roof park will be built according to the sponge city principle and will be freely accessible to all. The Haus des Wissens will be open, barrier-free, sustainable and highly digital. With five floors and a roof garden covering a total of almost 11,000 square meters, it will be a place for young and old – for education, knowledge exchange, encounters and enjoyment.

The design of the building and the individual areas take into account the fact that many people have many different needs. To ensure that all visitors feel comfortable, the building has a wide variety of atmospheres (loud/quiet, light/dark, exciting/relaxing, etc.). Extended opening hours invite you to stay and linger in the building as the mood takes you. With an open house concept, the media of the public library can also be used flexibly.

What is the task of the HdW project office?

As the project office, we – Britta Freis and I – accompany the development process of the Haus des Wissens from the planning stage through construction to the opening. Our focus is on accompanying the institutions that will move into the building “Auf dem Weg zum Haus des Wissens”. We work closely with the management of the vhs, the Bochum City Library and UniverCity. We also involve employees in the development process in workshops and information events, as they are the ones who will later work in the new building. Ideas are developed together and, where possible, decisions are made jointly.

It is also our job to provide information about the project. Since march 2023, there has been the “Baubude” – the information office for the Haus des Wissens, where we can already provide exciting insights into the building with a 3D model of the building, among other things. We regularly seek to engage with the people of Bochum, for example by taking our cargo bike to events in the city. We will also soon be using the construction fence around the building site in the city center to provide information about the HdW.

What does the Haus des Wissens already offer Bochum’s citizens?

Even now – long before the building opens its doors – there is a broad program of events, aimed at everyone in Bochum. The current program on the topic of “Climate” consists of more than 50 events. The vhs, the Bochum City Library and the UniverCity knowledge network, which will move into the Haus des Wissens, have an educational mission – but knowledge is imparted in very different ways, with different approaches and for different target groups. We have therefore decided to test out the collaboration by offering a joint program of events every year. This gives the city society a foretaste of the variety of topics that will later be found in the building. We see the 17 SDGs as the basis for our collaboration. Our annual themes are based on the cross-cutting themes of the Bochum Strategy.

What excites you personally about the Haus des Wissens?

I work on an exciting project with many different subject areas. On one hand the large construction site, on the other hand the close cooperation with the educational institutions vhs, the Bochum City Library and UniverCity. With this building, something is being created in Bochum that is unique in Germany in this size and constellation. That is very special. Accompanying this process means that we are constantly dealing with new topics, such as the digitalization of the building, inclusion, sustainability and the programme.

These are large blocks of topics that we work on with experts and together with the institutions that will move into the building. That makes it very varied. With the building, we are setting an example for Bochum as a city of knowledge and helping to bring about positive change in the city center. It will become more lively and people will enjoy spending time there. In my opinion, creating a new meeting place is a wonderful idea. And developing a building that will stay and shape the city is a great idea.

Where are the interfaces between UniverCity and the Haus des Wissens? How do they work together?

UniverCity is moving into the Haus des Wissens – this means that the themes of the seven universities and three non-university research institutions will be incorporated into the program planning for the future building. It is therefore important that the universities are already involved in the development process, for example by helping to shape the current annual program. Employees get involved in workshops, for example. They get to know the building and get an idea of what the building will be like in the future. They become multipliers and carry the idea of the house into the institutions. This is important because the Haus des Wissens, as a third location with many event spaces in the city center, is ideal for communicating knowledge and research topics close to the people. As a project office, we work closely with UniverCity, particularly in the areas of communication and event planning.