TU Delft’s Electrical Sustainable Power Lab (ESP Lab) is the transformation of the old high-voltage lab into a globally unique research center. Here, three previously separate research teams work together on one of the greatest challenges of our time: energy transition. The lab combines high voltage, low voltage, solar generation and network simulation in one building. This is technically exceptional: a 1.5 million-volt pulse generator is located just five meters from a highly sensitive supercomputer. Electromagnetic interference had to be completely avoided.

Steel as a key

The existing steel building was expanded with new steel components that combine safety, functionality and precision. Surrounding the wings is a steel fence that deflects lightning strikes and evenly distributes the electromagnetic field during high-voltage tests. All metal components are grounded to avoid voltage buildup.

Inside, steel walls, floors and ceilings – the “shielding” – ensure minimal electromagnetic interference. Together, the test spaces form a Faraday cage. Even windows have metal grilles to ensure protection. Pipes through the shielding are specially designed to prevent measurement interference.

Architecture and technology united

The design follows the metaphor of “rings of an onion”: layers of protection from sound, light, electromagnetic fields and lightning strikes. This led to a spatial system with contrasting zones, in which technical elements took on aesthetic value. Builders embraced this – installations and shielding became visible “works of art.”