Press release

With the presentation of the new HORIZN BER CITY development district, the BER airport operating company is launching marketing of its landside real estate close to the terminal buildings. Within easy walking distance of Terminals 1 and 2, the company intends to realize a versatile, climate-friendly urban space in the form of HORIZN BER CITY that will evolve in coming years in the immediate vicinity of the BER international airport. The plan is to develop a high-quality vibrant urban future district offering mixed commercial usages that firmly focuses on people, by emphasizing sustainable design, mobility, and user concepts.

Planning approval has been granted for the district, which will be realized in parts and awarded under leasehold. The first development module, Part 1, will be commissioned on the basis of a concept tender process as per the German Concessions Act. In line with its policy of a mixed-use rather than an office quarter, the BER airport operating company is inviting European property, investment, and project development companies and their potential partners and concept creators to team up to devise solutions that usher in a new future.

The digital information event on the HORIZN BER CITY concept tender process for investment and project development companies will take place on 12 October 2023 from 2:30 – 4 p.m. CET. Access is via the HORIZN-BER-CITY.DE homepage.

Aletta von Massenbach, CEO, Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH: “Today is another important day for the airport operating company, for BER as an airport hub, and for the entire business region. With the kick-off of the HORIZN BER City development district, the BER business engine has emphatically shifted up a gear. The district directly adjacent to BER airport creates the invaluable opportunity to create one of Europe’s most central innovation hubs in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. We’re inviting European property, investment, and project development companies and their partners to join us in this process and strongly help design this unique project.”

Prof. Jörg Steinbach, State of Brandenburg Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy: “I am delighted that today marks the real launch of district development at BER. Airports are international magnets for services, commerce, and airport-related production. That impacts the surroundings favourably and thus a new business hub is expected to arise next to the capital city’s airport, bringing growth, jobs, and prosperity. Further supporting Brandenburg’s economic prowess, as the state has in recent decades emerged as a highly competitive location for industry. At the same time, the emphasis must be on providing attractive living spaces where people like to live and work. That can only succeed if we tackle things together.”

Dr. Steffen Kammradt, Spokesperson of the Board of WFBB, underscored in his remarks how important HORIZN BER CITY is to persuade other sectors of tomorrow to relocate to Airport Region Berlin-Brandenburg: “HORIZN BER CITY is an absolute premium site on the BER grounds. Its location directly between the terminals and the motorway is ideal for international players. From here they can get anywhere fast, be it downtown Berlin, the Brandenburg growth regions, or the entire world for that matter. With its focus on innovation, sustainability, and people, HORIZN BER CITY is pointing the way to the future of a modern capital-city airport and its surroundings. We’re really looking forward to this exciting new hub in the Berlin Brandenburg capital-city region.”

Ilona Koch, Director of Commercial und Real Estate Management, Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH: “In the form of HORIZN BER CITY we will be establishing a sustainable, climate-friendly district. We have developed key ideas for it that derive from our vision of an economic, ecological, and socially sustainably future district where the focus is on the people there and which inspires and motivates, and can thus serve as the compass down the forthcoming path to realizing the project.”

GSBC precertification for districts in Platinum

In order to root sustainability criteria strongly in the planning process for the buildings and outdoor areas from Day One, the airport operating company has had the southern section of the district pre-certified by the German Sustainable Building Council (GSBC). The precertification deed has been issued in Platinum, the highest certification standard possible, and was formally handed over to the company today. In the course of the certification process, the district’s ecological, economic, sociocultural, functional, technical and process quality was examined. The precertification (Phase 1) is awarded for the urban planning process and is valid for three years.

Prof. Alexander Rudolphi, Member of the Board of Trustees of German Sustainable Building Council (GSBC): “As the inner part of the commercial grounds in front of BER Airport, given the planned usages and its visibility, and that includes internationally, the HORIZN BER CITY district is of special importance when it comes to answering the currently most pressing issues of climate neutrality, sustainability, and saving resources. With this outstanding GSBC precertification in Platinum, Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH commits from the outset to setting a high benchmark in this regard. The certificate makes that benchmark public. The plan is that in coming years the precertification will, without any dilution, evolve into fully-fledged certification.”

Hybrid range of uses

Alongside modern office, hotel, and congress uses, the airport operating company expects that the HORIZN BER CITY district will attract the technology sectors of tomorrow, corporations active in R&D and prototyping. And, of course, also be home to an array of small hospitality outlets, local shops, cultural facilities, as well as Edutainment concepts. Sustainability, biodiversity, and quality of life play a major role in the district, which is planned to be as good as car-free. The buildings and different usages will all be embedded in parkland. Diverse recreation areas, and a wraparound “Garden Loop” with footpaths and a cycle track will enhance leisure and networking within the district.

Quartier SXF 2.0

Parallel to the HORIZN BER City district, the grounds of the former Berlin-Schönefeld Airport are being developed. In early August 2023, an ideas competition was launched with three renowned architectural and planning practices for new uses for the northern section of the BER grounds. Initial findings will be presented in November. 

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In the next 20 years, in the form of HORIZN BER CITY an innovative, versatile, and climate-friendly urban space will evolve directly adjacent to Berlin’s international airport. In the heart of BER CITY, a few steps by foot from Terminal 1, a high-grade and vibrant urban quarter for tomorrow will arise, boasting a mix of commercial uses and focussing on people’s needs in the form of sustainable construction and usage concepts.

Usage mix and key ideas

In the form of HORIZN BER CITY, the airport operating company and the landowner FBB seek to extend the range of urban spaces and their commercial use such as to tap the potential of one of the most central European innovation hubs in the immediate vicinity of BER. With a landscaping concept that boosts health and well-being, a climate-friendly mobility concept, sustainable and aesthetic architectural concepts, and a multi-dimensional usage mix, HORIZN BER CITY is set to develop new answers to the central question of how districts can in future succeed and flourish long-term.

Landowner FBB believes key features of the new district are the openness to novel and versatile use scenarios and the mixture of office, Edutainment, hospitality, local shops, hotels, culture, prototyping, future technologies, and R&D – all embedded in a set of local parks and recreational areas as well as the “Garden Loop” with its footpaths and cycle track wrapping around the district.

Links

HORIZN BER City is only a short walk away from Terminals 1 and 2 at Germany’s third largest airport hub after Frankfurt and Munich. Moreover, it is superbly connected through the underground railway station to suburban, regional, and long-distance railway lines, as well as to bus shuttles and the A113 motorway. 

Concept tender process

The first development module for HORIZN BER CITY will be planned and realized in a collaborative approach based on a two-tier concept tender process as per the German Concessions Act. FBB invites European property, investment and project development companies and their partners to devise daring solutions with a strong future. The concept tender process commences on 12 October 2023.

Certification

The first development module has already been awarded GSBC precertification in Platinum.