EUREF Campus Berlin celebrates topping-out ceremony at Gasometer Schöneberg

The renovation and modern expansion of the Gasometer in Schöneberg, which is in keeping with its status as a historic monument, not only brings a Berlin landmark back to life, but also creates a structural symbol for the energy and mobility transition that is being lived out on the EUREF campus. In the presence of Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin, Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn and Reinhard Müller, CEO of EUREF AG, the topping-out ceremony was held on May 05, 2023 on EUREF Square with a view of the Gasometer. 

The interior construction of the Gasometer is the final building project on the EUREF Campus Berlin with an investment volume of 200 million euros. Since 2009, the green steel base of the Gasometer, which was decommissioned in 1995, has been used as a multifunctional venue for the EUREF Campus, a unique national real laboratory for the energy transition and model quarter for the climate-neutral, resource-saving and smart city of tomorrow. This central conference area will again be used as the campus forum after the expansion.

Starting at a height of 16 meters, an office building is being built on an area of around 28,000 square meters. From here, Deutsche Bahn will help shape the future of mobility from 2024. The Gasometer will thus be transformed from a gas tank into a think tank. The historic steel structure dating from 1910 will be refurbished using sandblasting technology in keeping with its status as a historic monument and will be preserved. Out of respect for the industrial monument, the new glass building will be modeled on the gas tank that once went up and down. The historic steel framework serves as a frame for the round new building. The largely glass facade will ensure that the building is highly translucent. In addition, a multifunctional event area with amphitheater and skylounge will be created in the historic steel shell of the gasometer as well as on the upper floors. The roof terrace will offer a unique view over Berlin and will also be open to the public.

Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin: "Only by closely networking business, industry and science will it be possible to effectively tackle climate change. The EUREF Campus vividly demonstrates how this interlinking can be successful - proving that CO2 neutrality is already achievable today."

Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG: "The Euref Campus is a place that is lively, inspiring, communicative and distinctive. This is where the future is made. We are delighted that around 2,000 Deutsche Bahn employees will be working here in the future on future projects such as the "Digital Rail" and driving forward the digitization of the rail network. As a location, the Euref Campus is a perfect fit for us. DB Engineering & Consulting has already been based here for years and offers expertise from infrastructure and mobility projects worldwide from here."

CEO of EUREF AG Reinhard Müller sees great innovation potential on the soon-to-be-completed EUREF Campus: "The Gasometer is visible from afar and thus stands as a symbol for the EUREF Campus as a location for innovation: The combination of innovation and tradition, renovation and new construction in line with the requirements of a listed building, digitalization and climate neutrality, office use and event space make the revitalization of the Gasometer a real showcase project for a trend-setting and intelligent conversion of a listed building."

Energy concept: Sustainable, smart and efficient

The new building will be constructed according to the highest energy efficiency standard KfW-55 - the standard of a lowest-energy building, which is even significantly lower than the current legal approval requirements for energy demand according to the Building Energy Act (GEG). As with all new buildings on the EUREF campus, the energy supply here is also smart. The cylindrical building cubature optimizes the ratio of the area of the outer shell to the heated volume and minimizes energy requirements. In addition to the highly insulating building envelope, the primary-energy-efficient central heating and cooling generation system incorporating renewable energies and combined heat and power generation is also used.

Event space and skylounge

Whether banquet, international conference or reception - a state-of-the-art event location is being created in the Gasometer. The multifunctional event areas will offer space for up to 1,600 people from June 2024. With flexibly separable catering and event areas, these can be used individually. A special highlight is the Skylounge, which is open to the public and offers a further event area with a unique 360° view of Berlin.

The EUREF Campus: Leading Location of the Energy Transition 

The EUREF Campus Berlin is the leading location for the energy transition in Germany. More than 150 companies, start-ups, and small and medium-sized enterprises from business, science, and research are located on the 5.5-hectare site and work with their approximately 5,000 employees on the topics of the future such as energy management, mobility, and climate protection. The latest technologies are developed here and their use researched. As an international showcase for the energy and mobility transition, the EUREF Campus has already been meeting the German government's CO2 climate targets for 2045 since 2014. At the same time, the EUREF Campus is a reference site for the Smart City strategy of the State of Berlin. In 2024, EUREF AG will open a second EUREF Campus at the Düsseldorf/Flughafen ICE train station.

For further information about the growth industries, economic development, business and technology support for companies, investors and scientific institutions in the Airport Region Berlin Brandenburg please contact:

Sandra Koletzki ​​​​​​ | sandra.koletzki(at)airport-region.de

(Source: STÖBE. Die Agentur für Kommunikation GmbH, 05|05|2023 | "Vom Gas-Tank zum Think-Tank – EUREF-Campus Berlin feiert Richtfest im Gasometer Schöneberg")