Technology and economics – a collaboration that benefits society

The new building is located right next to the NTNU Business School, where several of the academic communities and the faculty administration are located. This location supports entrepreneurship and academic environments that encourage initiative and collaboration. Bringing these communities together strengthens the connection between technology and economics—and to the rest of the campus.

A space for future collaboration

New workspaces, student areas, specialized facilities, and meeting places make new ways of working together possible. From the first year of study to the completion of a master’s degree, students will collaborate and work closely with professionals engaged in innovation and technological development. When economists and technologists work side by side, new solutions and new ways of understanding the world can emerge.

A new connection through campus

A new pedestrian bridge will link the Gløshaugen plateau to the new building. The bridge becomes an important connector, creating a direct route between Gløshaugen, the area around Hesthagen, and Øya—one of Trondheim’s busiest hubs. In this way, the campus is also more closely tied to the Elgeseter Innovation District.

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A centre of gravity for materials technology

Materials are part of everything around us. Each year, around 50 new MSc graduates complete their studies at Norway’s only master’s programme in Materials Technology. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering and its partners study how we can produce, use and reuse materials with lower emissions and better resource efficiency. With new laboratories and advanced infrastructure, the academic environment will gain improved conditions. This is where new methods, new materials and new knowledge will be developed — knowledge that benefits society as a whole.

Collaboration and development

The building will include a dedicated laboratory wing with facilities ranging from melting furnaces to electron microscopes. Activities that are currently spread across several buildings will be brought together, enabling more efficient collaboration and closer interaction between industry and research.

An open and welcoming ground floor will offer informal meeting spaces close to laboratories and teaching areas. The main entrance will face the Natural Science Building and form an entryway to Gløshaugen from the south.

The first piece in the relocation puzzle

In the sequence of relocations required to realise the campus unification, Materials Technology will be one of the first buildings to be completed. Large parts of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering will move from several locations and be brought together in the new building. This will make room for the new Humanities and Social Sciences building (sub-project P6).

Read more on the sub-project website

One home for operations and support functions

The Logistics Centre gathers functions that were previously spread across several locations. Internal transport, mail and book distribution, waste handling and vehicle maintenance will all have new facilities here. The Property Maintenance Section will also move in, with a base for work across NTNUs outdoor areas.

New home for the Graphic Centre

After many years at Dragvoll, the Graphic Centre will relocate to the Logistics Centre. Here, the production of graphic design, printed materials and visual services for NTNU will continue. Being co-located with logistics functions creates a more efficient workflow, and both people and equipment gain more space.

Efficiency behind the scenes

The building is designed to streamline operations, with workshops, garage facilities and dedicated parking in the basement level. The Logistics Centre plays an essential role in everyday campus life and helps keep NTNUs large operational machinery running.

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A new home for music education

Since the merger of the Music Conservatory and the Department of Musicology in 2002, the academic community has wanted to work more closely together, both professionally and physically. For the first time, the entire department will be housed in one building. Today, study programmes are divided between Dragvoll and several locations in and around Olavskvartalet. The new building will accommodate jazz, classical music, musicology and music technology. Bringing the department together strengthens opportunities for academic development and collaboration across genres and study paths.

Shared use and close neighbours

The Music Building will be situated between NTNUs Main Building and Studentersamfundet (the Student Society). This provides proximity to both the wider campus and the city’s student life. The short distance opens possibilities for shared use of spaces, benefitting both music education and student society.

Purpose-built facilities for music

The Department of Music has long needed improved facilities. The new building will include purpose-built rooms for practice, ensemble work and production. Students will have short distances between disciplines, and better access to equipment and technical resources.

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From icon to Main Hub

Since 1910, the Main Building has stood as a symbol of higher education. Over time, however, it has been used less by students as many everyday functions have moved elsewhere on campus. The aim now is to turn it into a vibrant hub for the university and Trondheim.

A new extension on the south side will provide shared areas and new meeting spaces. A restaurant and café on the ground floor will have outdoor seating facing south, open during the day and into the evening. The library — previously the Technology Library at Gløshaugen — will be expanded and joined by the Humanities and Social Sciences Library from Dragvoll.

Improved flow and universal design

A key part of the work is to make the Main Building accessible to everyone. The staircase at the main entrance will be preserved and supplemented with ramps and a lowering mechanism for easier access. Two new side entrances will also be created to ensure equal access for all.

Inside, the building will be adapted to improve circulation and strengthen connections between the floors. The goal is to make it natural to enter and use the building, not just walk past it.

A historic building for a new era

Because the Main Building is protected, all changes must be carried out in close collaboration with the Directorate for Cultural Heritage. By upgrading and actively using the building, we safeguard it for the future. The beautiful, historic landmark will continue to be a distinctive part of the city.

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A new building — new connections

The building brings together the full range of humanities and social sciences in Trondheim. Staff and students from nine departments at Dragvoll will now become part of the campus environment at Gløshaugen.

Its central location creates new opportunities to link the humanities and social sciences more closely with technology and the natural sciences, and to work together on key societal challenges. For students, it means short distances to peers across disciplines, the Student Society and the rest of the city. An open ground floor invites everyone in, across faculties and departments.

New energy

NTNU gains a new dimension in the way knowledge is developed. This is where technology, natural sciences, society and culture meet in everyday life. The new building for the humanities and social sciences will have an open and inclusive ground floor at the centre of campus. It will welcome everyone across departments and faculties. This strengthens NTNU’s ability to address complex and interconnected challenges. Bringing people and technology closer together makes the university better equipped to understand and tackle the major questions of our time.

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New infrastructure is essential

Infrastructure and landscape work is necessary to bring NTNU together on and around Gløshaugen. For the unified campus to function in practice, existing and new buildings must be connected. Pipes and cables for water and wastewater, stormwater management, district heating, electricity and ICT must also be upgraded.

Outdoor spaces connect the campus and the city

An open and vibrant campus invites the wider community in. With parks, walkways and meeting places, the campus becomes an extension of Trondheim itself. Here, everyone can share the same urban spaces and feel the same sense of belonging. The foundation is laid for an urban landscape that ties the university and the city together.

Read more on the sub-project website