Energy-efficient renovation: Mensa Academica will temporarily close its doors this summer

Aachen, 5 May 2026. Studierendenwerk Aachen is planning a comprehensive energy-efficiency renovation of its main building at Pontwall for the summer of 2026. The goal is to switch from gas to electricity in order to enable climate-neutral and more cost-effective energy generation and to meet changing environmental requirements. The project focuses on improving energy efficiency by upgrading the heating and cooling systems at Mensa Academica.

According to current plans, the work will require the main building and Mensa Academica located within it to be closed for several weeks. The dining hall will be open for the last time on Friday, 24 July. The reason for the temporary closure of the dining hall is the shutdown of the ventilation system throughout the building and the resulting suspension of food service. In addition, extensive construction work is planned, including the installation of heat pumps on the roof and in the mechanical plant, as well as the energy-efficiency retrofit of commercial refrigeration systems such as cold storage rooms and refrigerated display cases, in order to eliminate the use of environmentally harmful F-gases as refrigerants in the future.

The project is scheduled to take place during the quieter break between semesters so as not to disrupt regular operations during the current semester. Expanded services and extended hours at nearby facilities are intended to compensate for any disruptions. Mensa Vita has sufficient cooking capacity to supply all of the Studentenwerk’s dining halls and daycare centers.

The energy-efficiency renovation was originally scheduled for the summer of 2025, but had to be postponed by one year. The dining hall is expected to reopen in time for the 2026/27 winter semester.