Topping-out ceremony of the new BND building in Berlin

The chosen site around the former “Stadion der Weltjugend” (World Youth Stadium) in Berlin, which up to now has been a no-man’s-land between the city districts Mitte and Wedding, is set to gain urban character and an identity thanks to the project. Part of this process involves creating the potential for differentiated urban space and regeneration along the Panke river to add to the quality of the area as a whole. The overall project has been divided into three sub-projects – the main building, the school and visitor centre, and the technical and logistics centre.

The technical and logistics centre houses various functional areas and incorporates goods and transport handling. It also provides access from the north directly to the central axis of the main building. Many of the employees on site will use this access which is convenient to the nearby underground station. Above this entranceway, a car park for employee parking and the BND fleet with some 600 spaces is provided. The complex also includes a power plant and office space for a range of functions.

The logistics centre is divided into three main elements to accommodate its various functions. The glass-fronted foyer and the car park above face towards the public street. The car park extends over four levels. A four-storey service building is located south of the logistics yard on the opposite side. The office building at the eastern corner completes the group along the Chausseestraße. A fourth element beneath the logistics yard connects all sections of the buildings below ground level.

These three elements are brought together at ground floor level by a continuous base of fair-faced concrete, with natural stone used in the corner building area. Metal facades dominate the upper storeys of the buildings and lend a functional aspect to the logistics centre part of the project. This contrasts with the corner office building, which forms a closed perimeter along the Chausseestraße and has a structured plaster facade.

The ensemble must mould the mixed use complex, the relevant security requirements and urban development considerations into a single concept. The new BND technical and logistics centre was designed to reflect its technical function and role in its form, offer attractive access to the complex, and create a communicative, functioning and friendly working environment for its own employees.

Website Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle