With the need to renovate the underground parking levels under the central campus, as well as the implementation of a fire protection concept according to current guidelines, a comprehensive renovation of the surfaces of the Forum is required.

The aim is to preserve the design character of the ensemble from the late 1960s and at the same time to qualify the open spaces for today's requirements. The open space planning is thus in the area of tension between preservation, renewal and supplementation.

The forum is the focal point of the university campus and connects central facilities such as the refectory, the central lecture hall building, the central library, the student house and the university administration via an open paved area. Differences in height are made accessible in a striking way via large staircases with incised ramps that take up the orthogonality of the buildings and connect to each other at 45° angles.

While in the eastern area a recessed "arena" with large seating steps marks the focal point of the students' stay, the western area of the forum is an open space with eight strikingly placed trees and is the central connecting and event area.

The concept of the open space design is based on respectful treatment of the existing structure, the incorporation of new requirements and the addition of necessary functions and elements.

A subtle colour gradient in the characteristic paved areas of granite small stones serves to brighten up the covered areas, which in the past were often perceived as oppressive. A tactile guidance system and lifts are integrated to achieve universal accessibility.
The furniture and fittings pick up on the formal language and materiality of the existing building. Concrete, galvanised steel, wood and a strict linearity at a 45° angle are their characteristic features. The site conditions for planting the troughs are optimised by integrating irrigation and selecting species appropriate to the location.