The Ruhr University was the first new university to be founded in West Germany after World War II. Its 13 blocks are reminiscent of Tange’s Prefectural Office in Kagawa. A concrete podium serves to bring them together to form a single megastructure. The campus area was also designed with concepts of landscape architect Georg Penker.

Countless changes to the buildings down through the years, renovation work since 2003, one block was torn down and will be rebuilt in a changed form. Another block was completely modernized in 2011–2014 and the façade fundamentally changed (see last image). Similar thorough modernization is planned for additional blocks over the next 20 years. Since 2015 the university complex is heritage listed.