MBS Education and Conference Center

For decades now, Mannheim Castle has been occupied by the University of Mannheim and so it is not simply a historic artefact, but also a lively architectural ensemble. The castle’s former boiler room and its coal cellar underwent a transformation to provide new lecture theatres for the Mannheim Business School (MBS). From the Ehrenhof, the new complex is accessible via the former castle kitchen. From here, a generous staircase leads down into the double-height forum. At mezzanine level five breakout rooms are reached via a gallery, enjoying views out over the top of the lecture theatres, toward the castle garden. The MBS forum lies below, providing access to the two theatres, another five breakout rooms and the assembly hall. Crescent-shaped windows bring daylight into the rooms. Here, a former coal cellar in the castle garden has been transformed into an open-air sculpture project, slotting Mannheim Business School’s futuristic lecture theatres and its breakout rooms into the historical site context. Together with the historic castle, this complex creates a distinctive new component that symbolises the preservation of, and respect for tradition, as well as the importance of innovation and scientific curiosity.