New Electrical Systems for the Max Planck Institute in Martinsried

Kai Otto Architekten is overseeing the comprehensive modernization of the electrical infrastructure on the grounds of the Max Planck Institute in Martinsried. The existing transformer stations and electrical systems housed in the building are outdated and will be relocated for safety reasons and replaced by five new stations.

Four of the new stations are designed as transformer stations with additional rooms for low- and medium-voltage systems. The fifth station will serve exclusively to house electrical systems without a transformer room. Construction is proceeding rapidly: The walls of the individual stations are erected weekly, and the spaces between them are then concreted in sections.

The transformer rooms must withstand particularly high compressive loads, which can only be reliably met with a reinforced concrete construction. To save resources and waste, we opted for a prefabricated reinforced concrete construction.

The buildings will feature facade insulation and rear-ventilated rhombus formwork made of larch wood, which is screwed rather than glued. Waterproof concrete walls with additional waterproofing are used underground to optimally protect the sensitive electronic equipment. The flat roofs will be extensively planted with vegetation, and drainage will be provided aboveground via a trough infiltration system. All concrete components will be constructed with CO₂-reduced CEM III concrete.