The start of a new semester is a great opportunity to explore our university campus and to get to know new places. Going on a little tour will not only lead you to discover art and street art but also spaces for recreation and for physical exercise. In this newsletter, we have compiled a few ideas for you to explore.
Campus meets art
Directly between the Mensa essWERK (building 4) and building 8 is the sculpture of the "eternal student", which you have surely seen before. The sculpture was created in 1996 by metal sculptors "Krauts," including a graduate of Fb 1. It symbolizes the lifelong learning of man and thus personal education beyond the actual study. The eternal student was donated at that time by the sponsoring association of our university.
If you walk along building 8, the artistic experience continues directly. Next to the main entrance is the graffiti work "Astronaut" by street artist Philipp Schäfer, lecturer at Fb 4. The painting was created in 2019 in the course of the first Culture Week of our General Students' Committee (AStA). In a parallel workshop, students of our university learned more about the meaning of art in public space and how to reflect on it. Schäfer designed many other places on campus, including the facade of the front of Building 8, which was beautified in 2021 as part of our anniversary year. Since then, it has displayed the values our university stands for: Sustainability, Social Responsibility, Knowledge through Practice and more. It was made possible by our university sponsorship and a crowdfunding campaign. If you take a closer look, you will find several other works by the artist on our campus, including manhole covers decorated with different motifs or artistic style elements on some of our benches.
In the spirit of sustainability
Our university's sustainability strategy came into force in spring 2021. In the course of its implementation, some visible changes have also taken place on our campus: Directly in front of Building 8 facing Nibelungenallee, a container that was previously used as a bicycle repair shop by the repair collective (ReKoli) has been in place for quite some time. An insect hotel on the back of the container represents the replica of our university logo, is made of wood and provides more biodiversity on campus. The ideas for the design and placement of the insect hotel on the container were developed as part of the Interdisciplinary Studium Generale (!SG). The project was funded by the Frankfurt Foundation for Research and Education.
Likewise, our campus is home to several bee colonies, which were settled on a green roof area on Building 4 in the summer of 2021. While you don't get direct access to the hives, they are clearly visible from the stairwell (from the 2nd floor) of the building. The idea for locating the bee colonies was submitted and awarded a prize by Bettina Belz and Lola Freyer, both Fb 1, as part of the company's suggestion scheme. The search for a suitable location was carried out as part of the !SG as a project on the cross-cutting issue of sustainability. Employees from the object service, the safety officers and the submitters of the proposal supported the team in selecting the location. The project was supported by the Förderverein der Frankfurt UAS e.V.
Time for exercise
One place on campus has become a bit of an insider tip: Somewhat hidden, but still easily accessible, is the sports park directly behind our library. The sports park is not only used as an open space for various sports – including calisthenics – but is also often a meeting place for the outdoor sports offered by CampusSports. The way to get there? Just go to the Werkhof between building 4 and building 3 and then take the spiral staircase to the top.
Right next to the sports park, by the way, it goes down deep – because in the backyard of the library there used to be the university's combined heat and power plant, which has since been replaced by the use of district heating. The large chimney behind the library was also part of it and is still used by various laboratories at our university. How the rooms of the old power plant can be used in the future is currently being examined.
Study result up close
Last but not least: Directly in front of Building 1, not far from the bicycle racks, there is a result of student work – the rammed earth wall. It was built in February 2020 by students of the bachelor's program in civil engineering under the supervision of Prof. Heinrich Lessing. It clearly shows that design and construction need not always remain abstract matter. The students built the arch of the clay wall with their own hands; in doing so, they learned about the regularity of a masonry bond and the resulting necessary dimensional accuracy. Originally, the wall was to be dismantled after only a few weeks - in the meantime, it has become an integral part of the campus image.