Wooden ‘Berlin wall’ hides exterior of Exam Centre

The Exam Centre is blocked from the Kralingse Zoom side by a massive wooden wall at least five metres high. It may look as if you’ll soon have to go past Checkpoint Charlie to enter the campus, but don’t worry. The wall is there for an entirely different reason.

When taking a detour from Kralingse Zoom metro station it really stands out: the ‘Berlin wall’ of chipboard that stretches from the former sports centre (now Exam Centre) to the Hatta building. It brings to mind the chipboard that was used to board up the F and G buildings after a break-in. Those buildings are about to be demolished.

But no, the Exam Centre is not being demolished and there wasn’t an irresistible chipboard sale at the DIY store. The wall is there to shield the exam building from the construction site on the other side of the Kralingse Zoom.

New homes will be built there from September. The chipboard panels have been put up to reduce noise disturbance during exams, a university spokesperson clarified. The contractor who will build the homes erected the wall after consultation with the municipality and the university.