In the presence of Finance Minister Danyal Bayaz, the cornerstone was laid for the third expansion stage of the HLRS III high-performance computing center. The new building will create a new high-performance computing center for supercomputing and artificial intelligence on the campus of the University of Stuttgart. From 2027, it will house the European exascale supercomputer Herder and the AI factory HammerHAI.
The building, designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects and Birk Heilmeyer und Frenzel Architekten, combines high-performance computing and modern workplaces in a clearly structured building. At its heart is the column-free HPC room with optimal connections to electrical and cooling technology, which is being realized in timber construction for the first time. A well-thought-out security concept separates the sensitive server area from the office space and allows controlled views for employees and visitors via a light-flooded atrium, which also serves as a showroom and access point.
The office areas are planned as a wood-concrete hybrid construction and accommodate 40 workstations in flexible open-space areas. Photovoltaic systems on the roof and facade generate electricity. The waste heat from the supercomputer is fed into the campus heating network. HLRS III is an innovative research cluster in terms of both construction and technology and an important building block on the Vaihingen campus. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2027.