The Max Planck Society has announced the winning design for the new campus of the Max Planck Institutes for Biochemistry and for Biological Intelligence in Martinsried. The Free State of Bavaria is providing up to 500 million euros in funding for the construction project. The new building is intended to create a modern research environment and support the further development of Martinsried as a life sciences hub.
The Max-Planck-Society has selected the master planner for the new campus of the Max Planck Institutes for Biochemistry and for Biological Intelligence in Martinsried. The design by the Stuttgart-based firm h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten prevailed in a multi-stage planning competition and forms the basis for the campus’s further development.
The existing institute buildings have been in use for more than 50 years and are increasingly failing to meet the requirements of modern research infrastructure. The new campus is therefore intended to provide state-of-the-art research, administrative, and infrastructure buildings. Plans include, among other things, a central main building, a campus park, and a connecting pathway encircling the buildings, known as the “Loop.” Construction will take place in several phases so that research operations can continue during the construction period.
The campus is being developed in an environment that brings together internationally recognized research institutions, including Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU, the LMU Hospital Großhadern, the Innovation and Innovation and Start-up Center for Biotechnology (IZB, and BioM with its start-up incubator MAxL, as well as numerous biotech companies and start-ups. The new research infrastructure is intended to help ensure the location’s long-term appeal for excellence in research and innovation.
“This is where one of Europe’s most important life sciences hubs is taking shape, led by one of the world’s leading research institutions,” said Minister President Dr. Markus Söder. “The campus will be a hub for research, development, and talent.”
The President of the Max Planck Society, Prof. Patrick Cramer, emphasized the location’s particular strengths: “Martinsried brings together excellent research, university-affiliated medicine, established companies, start-ups, and an international environment. As we enter the new AI era in the life sciences, our institutes want to continue shaping this development and conducting cutting-edge scientific research.”
The designs submitted as part of the planning competition will be presented in an exhibition at the Max Planck Institutes in Martinsried through October 2026.