Renovations in summer 2026 – what to expect in the premises

Process ventilation

Work is underway to replace the units for process ventilation connected to fume cupboards, local exhaust ventilation and laboratories. 

• Process ventilation will be switched off from 1 June until the end of August. During this period, temporary solutions have been devised for the affected operations, and these are being communicated directly to the respective groups.
• Laboratories without a temporary solution must not be used for work involving volatile, hazardous or flammable chemicals. They may, however, be used for other activities. In such cases, it is permitted to open windows for ventilation, but it is important that windows are closed when the room is vacated.

The ventilation work will take place from the end of May until mid- or late August and will also involve physical alterations to the building. Workplaces on the 5th floor will be affected by noise, particularly at the end of May and throughout June.

The ventilation units are located in the ventilation room on the 5th floor of the yellow building, and part of the roof will be opened to allow the work to take place. The units will be lifted in and out using a crane truck, and this operation is scheduled to take place in early July. 

The eastern car park at Geocentrum II, with access from Gerdagatan, will be affected during this period. The car park will be closed on certain days during the lifting operations, and the project will also require the use of a further 4–5 parking spaces during parts of the summer.

For enquiries regarding laboratory operations, please contact Martin Jarenmark,martin [dot] jarenmark [at] mgeo [dot] lu [dot] se (martin[dot]jarenmark[at]mgeo[dot]lu[dot]se) . For other enquiries, please contact Geocentrumservice,geocentrumservice [at] mgeo [dot] lu [dot] se (geocentrumservice[at]mgeo[dot]lu[dot]se) .

Lifts

During the summer, maintenance work will be carried out on all lifts in Geocentrum II. Most lifts are being refurbished, whilst the lift at Bucklan is being completely replaced.

The work is being carried out as part of the maintenance plan and aims to improve functionality and safety. Among other things, the lifts will be fitted with a new safety feature that means they will automatically descend to the ground floor and open in the event of a power cut.

Access to the building will be restricted during certain periods due to the lift renovations. The east lift (main lift) is the only lift that goes to the 5th floor, which means that the 5th floor cannot be reached by lift when it is out of service.

Provisional schedule:

• Bucklan (replacement): weeks 32–35
• Western lift (refurbishment): weeks 33–34
• Lobby lift (old entrance, refurbishment): weeks 35–37
• Main lift / East lift (refurbishment): weeks 38–39. During this period, the 5th floor cannot be reached by lift.

Disruption may occur during the works, particularly in connection with the replacement of the lift at Bucklan.

Lighting (fixtures)

Over the summer, lighting in lecture theatres, corridors and offices will be replaced, primarily in the Yellow Building. Work will begin on a smaller scale in early summer and continue after the summer holidays.

From 10 August, work will take place in offices and corridors on floors 3–5 of the Yellow Building.

Some areas will be affected earlier:

• Floor 3 corridors: week 22
• Floor 5 corridors: week 23
• The area adjacent to Pangea and the glass roof: week 24. Please note that barriers may be in place during work in the glass roof area.

Work in each room normally takes one to two working days. However, including preparation and follow-up work, the room may be affected for up to three days in total. Plastic sheeting will be installed the day before work begins and removed once the work has been approved. Rooms cannot be used while work is in progress.

Those affected will be notified approximately two weeks in advance. If additional lighting is required, such as a table lamp, please contact Geocentrumservice atgeocentrumservice [at] mgeo [dot] lu [dot] se (geocentrumservice[at]mgeo[dot]lu[dot]se) .

How the new lighting works

The lighting in offices and meeting rooms is divided into uplighting and downlighting and is controlled via separate, spring-loaded push-buttons inside the door. These are used to switch the lights on and off and to adjust the brightness.

The light is switched on manually by pressing the relevant button. Holding the button down for at least one second adjusts the brightness, and when the button is released, the light remains at the selected level. The next time the light is switched on, it returns to the last brightness level set.

Switching off is either manual or automatic. Presence detection is used, which means that the lighting switches off after a certain period of time without any detected activity. In smaller offices, this occurs after approximately 15 minutes, whilst in other spaces it may take up to approximately 30 minutes.

In some rooms, there are also additional luminaires, such as pendant luminaires, picture lights or downlights. These are controlled separately but are affected by the same presence detection as the rest of the lighting in the room.

In rooms with a pull cord (office function), the downlight can also be adjusted individually by pulling the cord and holding it until the desired brightness is achieved.

For general lighting without a pull cord, the light is first automatically dimmed (to approximately 20 per cent) after a period of inactivity and then switched off completely after a further period without presence.

Burglary risk and security during the summer

During the summer, fewer people are present on the premises, which means that any irregularities are not detected as quickly. It is therefore particularly important that everyone helps to keep security in mind.

• Close windows when you leave a room
• Lock doors
• Ensure that external doors are kept closed
• Do not let anyone in without an LU card
• Contractors are working on the premises – ask to see their LU card if necessary (all contractors must have one).