ZPD - University of Würzburg

The new building for the Center for Philology and Digitality (ZPD), built after winning an architectural competition in 2018, is the first building on the Humanities construction site and forms a kind of micro-campus on the Green Belt of the Hubland Nord campus. Large windows and white concrete panels structure the facade. At second glance, the reliefs of the words "philology" and "digitality", translated into a binary code, can be seen in the exposed concrete, subtly referencing the interdisciplinary research taking place inside the building.

The open, light-flooded entrance hall serves as the communicative heart of the ZPD. The unpretentious yet powerful spatial composition is characterised by the reduction to just a few materials, above all exposed concrete. Digitalization areas, seminar and event rooms are located on the ground floor, while each upper floor houses the office area of a specialist discipline. Ochre-yellow and vermilion surfaces visualize the interlocking of philology and digitality. Both colours can be found on the walls and floors of both floors – but in the exact opposite way.