Many guests, some of whom were instrumental in creating and growing the JKU Faculty of Medicine, joined in the celebrations and were visibly taken and impressed by the striking architecture.

The new JKU Faculty of Medicine campus is located on the Kepler University Hospital grounds, adding to the hospital’s areal and placing med students close to medical professionals. Healthcare, education and research go hand-in-hand at both organizations’ medical training centers. The doctors of tomorrow will not only greatly profit from a research-led, very practice-oriented degree program, patients will benefit from cutting-edge medical practices, and researchers will have access to a state-of-the-art infrastructure with close ties to Kepler University Hospital.

years ago, the Faculty of Medicine at the Johannes Kepler University Linz has grown into an innovative flagship project. The new medical campus on the Kepler University Hospital areal is yet another milestone in the Faculty of Medicine’s short history. This second campus means the JKU has physically moved into the center of our state capital. Architect Peter Lorenz has succeeded in creating a campus space that goes far beyond just practicality and design. The four buildings merge in harmonious contrast and create an inspiring community space that not only impresses me, but our students and employees as well, adding to the ambience of the city center. The new, innovative infrastructure will give our new campus an opportunity to become a magnet in support of research-led education, far beyond our national borders. Last but not least, the JKU MED Campus will be home and an anchoring point for our students, faculty, and researchers."

Globally, the JKU medSPACE is one of its kind. The medSPACE is simultaneously a lecture hall, forum, and stage, creating a radically new way of teaching and understanding medicine. While the screens are not used to look at CT or MRI scans, they can be studied on a larger, three-dimensional scale by using "cinematic rendering" technology to create photorealistic representations of the human anatomy. Surgeries can also be broadcast live. Before the scheduled operation, surgeons can enlarge the affected organ or blood vessels in 3D so it can be viewed from various angles. The technology has been made possible through a research collaboration between the JKU (Prim. Univ. Prof. Dr. Franz Fellner), Siemens Healthineers, and the Ars Electronica Futurelab.

Facts, Figures, and Information about the Construction

• 33 companies were involved in the construction work
• 12,500 m2 of floor space
• 59,000 m3 of excavated soil was removed
• 26,000 m3 of concrete were used
• 6,140 tons of steel ensured the stability of the structures
• 460 km of cables were laid
• 220 km of data cables were laid
• € 105.4 million in investment volume approved in 2015. The project is on schedule for completion despite pandemic-related price fluctuations for construction materials, etc. and within the approved budget.