The Otto Stern Centre, as one of the core buildings of Goethe University, serves multiple functions including a library, lecture halls, and a cafeteria. It plays a vital role in connecting academic communication with the vibrant campus life. The design of the center emphasizes its iconic features, incorporating a narrow golden bar that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding terrain, as well as efficiently organizes the various functions within the building to meet diverse program needs.

Otto Stern, the Nobel laureate in physics, is one of the most significant scientists who has greatly contributed to the global academic reputation of Goethe University Frankfurt. The Otto Stern Center, named in his honor, serves not only as a library and research center but also as a gathering place for students and faculty to exchange ideas.

Strategically located in the heart of the Campus Riedberg, the building benefits from its surroundings. with an S-Bahn station to the north, a landscape green area to the south, numerous institutions to the west, and an open plaza to the east.

On a city scale, the center with its narrow figure effectively eliminates the elevation difference, ensuring accessibility from both sides of the north and the south; Additionally, through functional spaces such as the Natural Science Library, seminar rooms, lecture halls, and a cafeteria, it as well facilitates connections for different disciplines and departments on both sides of the east and the west.

The design of Otto Stern Centre integrates its connectivity with the surrounding spaces with its iconic features as a gateway building of the campus.

From the perspective of campus planning, the lower spaces of the building is designed to be passable, which people can go through to enter the campus, and other core functions are compressed into the upper and underground spaces. Following this functional arrangement, the lower space is recessed, the upper space cantilevered, and the underground space embedded in the terrain, making the entire building resemble a floating golden bar.

The upper floors (3rd and 4th), which are covered in a golden veil, house the Natural Science Library as the most prominent area. The significance of the library is emphasized by the metal texture of the façade, with strip openings of different sizes creating a sense of rhythmic transparency.

Through the stairs at the north entrance, people can directly enter the library, where the layout of the book section and the setting of the top floor are overlapped on one side, and an airy reading section are created on the other side, prioritizing a natural atmosphere and a comfortable learning environment.

Meanwhile, the library incorporates the specially designed furniture. Students can enjoy their studies at desks with opportunity for short breaks, during which they can take a moment to appreciate the beautiful campus surroundings.

Stepping down from the library, people can notice a gradual transition in the spatial atmosphere from "quiet" to "lively".

On the second floor, there is a dedicated seminar area with multiple flexible rooms to meet the diverse needs of various events; On the first floor, there’s a cafeteria near the south entrance, with an outdoor dining area facing the campus.

These public spaces with more vibrancy are located within a glass box on the lower floors. it not only provides a bright environment for the activities, but also contributes the appeal of the floating golden bar as a subtle support.

The bottom floor of the building is transformed into a base on the east side serving as a connective space, which in a way weakens the sense of volume in the building’s appearance. Here, a grand stair is embedded in the campus plaza.

The number of steps gradually increases from north to south, inconspicuously dealing with 3.5-meter elevation difference. At the same time, the surface of the grand stair is made of natural stone, which integrates the stair into the plaza with consistent color and texture.

Even more inconspicuously, six lecture halls as one of the important functional spaces are concealed beneath the grand stair.

The grand stair features 3 cuts, which transform into 3 garden courtyards, each with diagonal bridges above that connect different stair areas in a dynamic manner. These garden courtyards provide lateral natural lighting and ventilation, allowing sunlight to permeate the lecture halls below, as well as extending the atmosphere of learning and communication to outdoor spaces.