Rathenau Halls in Oberschöneweide become office and cultural location

For years, large parts of the former AEG transformer factory, whose heritage-protected Rathenau Halls are located in Berlin-Oberschöneweide directly on the Spree River, have stood empty. The few areas still in use are mainly used for storage and logistics purposes, and occasionally as workshops and studios. But now all that is set to change: In a few months, the new owner BaseCamp will start with the restoration and revitalization of the heritage-protected site. As part of the redevelopment of the buildings, which consist of single- to multi-aisle production and storage halls, floor factories, and former administrative buildings, there are also plans to expand the current 58,096 sq m GFA to a total of 85,000 sq m of usable space. This is to be achieved by installing cantilevered steelwork structures within the halls and by erecting four new buildings featuring environmentally friendly hybrid timber construction according to plans by the renowned Berlin-based architectural firm Tchoban Voss. The initial redevelopment work could begin as early as this year, and by 2025 the quarter should have been renovated in keeping with its status as a historic monument and filled with new life.

The quarter is planned in two parts: The Rathenau Halls Office area, which comprises commercial uses such as offices, restaurants, and studios on a site area of approx. 54,500 sq m in the western section of the quarter, and the eastern BaseCamp Campus area, which covers approx. 14,600 sq m. This includes a young and urban hostel and accommodation offering with about 430 short-stay rooms, which are aimed at professional travelers of resident companies and lecturers from the nearby University of Applied Sciences (HTW Berlin), but also students and tourists, as well as about 60 long-stay rooms for students and employees of resident companies. The focal point of the campus is the BaseHub in the power plant building with co-working, recreational, and community spaces as well as studio and exhibition areas. Along the Spree River, a new publicly secured riverside path with a marketplace and sports facilities, as well as restaurants, will provide a quality of stay in the area, which is free of cars above ground.

“We are taking advantage of the extensive work that is pending as part of the urgently needed basic renovation to give the Rathenau Halls a perspective for the future,” says Saidah Bojens, Head of Project Development Germany at BaseCamp. Because despite the expenditure of larger sums in the preservation of the heritage-protected halls since the purchase in 2019 by BaseCamp, the condition of the buildings, which are over 100 years old, is in need of improvement: “The glass roofs of the halls are single-glazed and leaky, the steel construction from when it was first built in 1898 is corroded, and the technology mainly dates from the early days of the GDR,” explains Bojens and adds: “We have taken over the site in this condition and will renovate the halls in accordance with the preservation order and also upgrade them in terms of energy efficiency. Our goal is to develop a CO2-neutral quarter with a very innovative energy concept.”

The plans have been drawn up in close cooperation with the district’s urban development department and the Department for the Protection of Historical Monuments and have already been noted very positively by the Treptow-Köpenick District Council for the Protection of Historical Monuments. The halls are embedded in a quarter that invites visitors to stroll and cycle. The construction of an underground parking garage with electric charging stations is also being examined. In addition, more than 700 above-ground bicycle parking spaces are planned.

Planned types of use

• Office                                            72 %
• BaseCamp (Accommodations)    15 %
• BaseCamp (Co-working, etc.)      2.5 %
• BaseCamp (Residential)              4.5 %
• Studios                                         3 %
• Local suppliers                             1.5 %
• Restaurants                                  1.5 %

About Basecamp
BaseCamp is an experienced operator and developer of campuses for young urban working, living, and tourism uses in prime and dynamic science locations. Within Europe, BaseCamp has developed and planned around 10,000 beds since 2014. BaseCamp’s projects feature high-quality architecture and have already been awarded international architectural prizes. Their focus is on the formation of campuses with modern designed public spaces where urban life can take place. The Berlin team was once again strengthened for the Rathenau Halls project in particular.
Additional information: https://www.basecampstudent.com/


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