As AI technology looks set to have a huge impact - for better or worse - in the coming years, the German municipality of Heilbronn hopes to join in and position itself as Europe's answer to Silicon Valley. To boost this vision, the municipality commissioned renowned architecture firm MVRDV to design a high-tech AI innovation centre in the form of a large circular campus with sustainability facilities such as solar and wind power.
The Artificial Intelligence Innovation Park will cover 265,000 square metres and include laboratories and scientific buildings, as well as a startup centre. There will also be housing and facilities such as a restaurant, a kindergarten, a walking park, a skate park and an athletics track.
Most buildings are characterised by simple rectangular shapes with modest heights of around 27 metres, making them relatively easy and efficient to build. However, there will be exceptions, such as a striking round tower that will house a communications centre and above which there will be a roof garden.
Old and new come together
An ancient Roman trail will be incorporated and serve as the main north-south route, while significant landscaping will include meadows that will be planted for AI agricultural research.
The recent developments in AI demand the attention of people from all walks of life, and with this design MVRDV is creating a compact campus where this can happen. The striking shape of the campus can help lift it to an international stage and attract world-class talent. Meanwhile, the inviting atmosphere and recognisable appearance make the place a destination where people can engage with the future of AI technology.
According to MVRDV, the campus' energy consumption will be around 80% lower than that of a comparable campus of the same size. Insulating, green-covered roofs and energy-efficient heating and cooling will help minimise energy consumption, while electricity will be provided by a combination of wind turbines and solar panels. These will be connected to batteries, and there is also talk of a geothermal system.
The Artificial Intelligence Innovation Park is the winning design of an international architectural competition and is being developed in collaboration with LOLA Landscape Architects, Thornton Tomasetti, Studio Animal-Aided Design, Realace, Peutz Consult and Gruner Deutschland. It is still unknown when the campus will be completed.
