Building start for billion investment project at Nya Ångström

Today ground will be broken for the expansion of the Ångström Laboratory at Uppsala University. The goal is to create an innovative interdisciplinary research and education environment through two additions in order to meet the demands of the future for a leading international university. The 30,000 square-metre construction project is the largest initiative that Uppsala University and Akademiska Hus have ever undertaken together.

The Ångström Laboratory was built over 20 years ago to gather the University’s physics, chemistry and engineering departments in a strong, common research and education environment. The current 72,000 square-metre lab building is occupied by about 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students daily. However, larger premises are needed to continue the development of the successful activities.

Therefore, construction will begin today on a new cube-shaped main building, located to the north of the existing building. Upon completion, the Department of Information Technology will move there from Polacksbacken.The building will serve as the new entrance to the Ångström Laboratory and will facilitate entry into the facility and make it possible to highlight the activities carried out there. The new building will also include a reception area, student services and meeting spaces, as well as a café, library, atrium and auditorium.The ground-breaking ceremony will be attended by Eva Åkesson, Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University, and Hayar Gohary, Project Director at Akademiska Hus.

“Uppsala University has high aspirations and the Ångström Laboratory will continue to be developed as an international magnet for prominent undergraduate and graduate students in the sciences, technology and engineering. An exciting new interdisciplinary environment in which students, graduate students and teachers can meet is a step in this direction. The initiative for the future will further strengthen our position internationally,” says Eva Åkesson.

At the same time that construction begins on the main building a new wing will be added to the south that will primarily include classrooms and office space. The development of New Ångström focuses on the physical environment, which will promote the educational philosophy that Uppsala University wants to work with in the future in terms of both teaching facilities and meeting places. Students, teachers and didactics researchers have therefore been involved in the planning process.

 “Akademiska Hus is extremely proud of the opportunity to work with Uppsala University to make the New Ångström facility a reaility. The expansion will enable the centre of education’s internationally renowned research and education to expand in an interdisciplinary environment, which can also be viewed as an important initiative for all of Uppsala,” says Hayar Gohary.

Akademiska Hus is investing SEK 1.2 billion in the project. Occupancy of the wing to the south is planned for the fall of 2020, while the new main building will be ready for occupancy in the spring of 2022.