At Munich's Schillerstraße 44, LMU Munich and the Bavarian State Natural History Collections marked a milestone: the official groundbreaking for their new Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. This innovative structure brings together research, teaching, and collections in a single, prestigious location at the heart of Bavaria's capital. Its sculptural natural stone façade and transparent glass exhibition hall create a striking urban presence designed to foster dialogue and discovery. Gerber Architects' design masterfully balances formal rigor and functional clarity with compelling aesthetic vision.
Positioned between Theresienwiese and Sendlinger Tor, the new building consolidates multiple departments previously scattered across Munich into one cohesive campus. Situated near the historic Royal Anatomy Theatre, the structure demonstrates sophisticated urban design—responding thoughtfully to its complex contextual surroundings.

The sculptural form engages both the existing northern structures and the adjacent institute building on Pettenkoferstraße. Rather than following the traditional linear perimeter block, its meandering silhouette enfolds a transparent hall—fully visible to the street and the city beyond. The recessed glass entrance creates a plaza-like threshold: a moment of transition between campus and urban life. Here, passersby encounter the "window to science"—a visually permeable façade offering glimpses into the building's publicly accessible exhibitions and event spaces.

The new campus unites five teaching and research units—geology, paleontology and geobiology, mineralogy and petrology, crystallography, and geophysics—alongside the state geoscience collections. This interdisciplinary research facility opens itself to the city, making earth sciences accessible to diverse audiences: school groups, visitors, students, and researchers alike. As both exhibition space and research hub, the building hosts permanent collections, rotating exhibitions, workshops, guided tours, and lectures. With 1,600 m² of exhibition space at their disposal, the campus's approximately 520 students and 140 researchers can engage the public through dynamic formats that bring their work to life.

Across 17,000 m² of usable floor space, the program encompasses S1 and S2 laboratory suites, offices and administrative areas, workshops for sample preparation, secure storage for crystals and fossils, vibration-isolated microscopy stations, a wind tunnel, a library, and the distinctive "Boom Lab"—a 13-meter-high shaft designed to simulate volcanic eruptions. While offices capture natural light and views outward, the workshops, library, and extensively glazed laboratory spaces face inward toward the soaring hall, making the research process itself visible and transparent. The building totals 32,330 m² of gross floor area and 159,215 m³ of gross volume.

A seamless skin of white-grey Main sandstone wraps the entire meandering structure—inside and out—materializing the building's central mission: understanding Earth's history, evolution, and future. Through disciplined conceptual design, the new building articulates the ambition and reach of earth and environmental science, bringing it directly into the life of the city. It transforms the relationship between the university and its urban context. Gerber Architekten prevailed in the two-phase open competition held by Munich State Building Authority 2 in 2017. Demolition commenced in 2022 and concluded in January 2024 following comprehensive remediation. The research building is slated for completion in 2029/2030.