Press release 50Hertz Transmission GmbH EC Architectural firms LOVE architects and urbanism (Graz) and Henning Larsen Architects (Kopenhagen) win top places in architectural competition for new 50Hertz headquarters in Berlin's "Europacity". Eichenstraße 3A 12435 Berlin 18 architecture firms competed in contest to design new "50Hertz Netzquartier" / Jury chooses four designs / Headquarters will reflect power grid operator's new corporate culture Berlin The conclusion of the international architectural competition to design new headquarters for 50Hertz brings the power grid operator another step closer to the realisation of the so-called 50Hertz Netzquartier in Berlin's "Europacity". In the summer of 2012, the energy company acquired an area with a total surface of 8,145 square metres in the Heidestraße, between Berlin Central Station and former railway station Hamburger Bahnhof. Shortly afterwards, in late summer last year, the company organised a competition for the design of its new head office. A closed competition, preceded by a public application procedure, selected 18 firms to compete. From 15 October to 20 December 2012, they were given the time to develop and submit their architectural designs. 50Hertz reserved a total amount of 220,000 in prize money for winners and honourable mentions and administrative expenses made by the participating firms. As the current location in the Eichenstraße in Treptow has reached its limits, the plan is to move into the new building in 2016. In its initial construction phase, the new office will offer room for 580 employees. The jury convened yesterday and unanimously awarded two second places to architectural firms LOVE architecture and urbanism ZT GmbH, Graz, and Henning Larsen Architects, Kopenhagen. Places three and four went to alexa zahn architekten, Vienna, and Müller Reimann, Gesellschaft von Architekten mbh, Berlin. When planning the future 50Hertz Netzquartier, the architects needed to respect a number of criteria. Among other things, the designs should create an environment that embodies the cultural change the company is undergoing towards a more open and more dialogue- and team-oriented approach. At the same time, criteria such as sustainability, energy efficiency, functionality and cost-effectiveness were also of great importance. 50Hertz will now enter into negotiations with the architectural firms to try and reach a contractual agreement in March. The jury, presided by professor Markus Allmann, consisted of six representative jurors and seven technical jurors: Representative jurors: Boris Schucht, Chief Executive Officer, 50Hertz Hans-Jörg Dorny, Chief Human Resources Officer, 50Hertz
Dr. Lutz Pscherer, Works Council President, 50Hertz Regula Lüscher, Senate Building Director, Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment, Berlin Carsten Spallek, Borough Councillor for Urban Development, Construction, Economy and Spatial Planning, Berlin borough of Mitte Henrik Thomsen, Manager of CA Immo Berlin, CA Immobilien Anlagen GmbH 2/5 Technical jurors Prof. Markus Allmann, architect, Munich Prof. Stefan Behnisch, architect, Stuttgart Prof. Almut Grüntuch-Ernst, architect, Berlin Stefan Plesser, architect, Brunswick Prof. Kirsten Schemel, architect, Berlin Prof. Gernot Schulz, architect, Cologne Prof. Jürgen Weidinger, landscape architect, Berlin According to Regula Lüscher, Senate Building Director of the Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment of the Land of Berlin, holding a competition proved to be the right choice to ensure that the new look blends in well with the station quarter, Europacity and the Art Campus, enhancing the different characteristics of each separate quarter. "I am pleased that, as a futureoriented company, 50Hertz will provide a modern, communicative work environment in its new head office in Berlin." Boris Schucht, CEO at 50Hertz, thanked the architects for their efforts made as participants in the contest and stressed that the designs showed very futureoriented and fascinating approaches to translate 50Hertz's corporate culture into even more open, transparent, communicative and team-oriented working conditions: "The new 50Hertz Netzquartier will provide us with a highly attractive principal seat located in the heart of Berlin with optimal transport connections. Having our registered office in the middle of the capital also symbolises the central part we play in bringing about the energy transition and attests to 50Hertz's commitment to Berlin as its permanent seat of administration", said Boris Schucht. The 18 architectural designs will be displayed at the Deutsches Technikmuseum (Trebbiner Straße 9, 10963 Berlin) from 2 to 17 February 2013. The exhibition is free to all, including the "Windstärken" exhibition supported by 50Hertz.
The prize-winning designs: 2nd place: LOVE architects and urbanism ZT GmbH, Graz 3/5 2nd place: Henning Larsen Architects, Kopenhagen
3rd place: alexa zahn architekten, Vienna 4/5 4th place: Müller Reimann Gesellschaft von Architekten mbh, Berlin The architectural designs can also be downloaded as highresolution images from the 50Hertz website at the following URL: http:///de/201.htm With its almost 800 collaborators, 50Hertz takes care of the operation and the expansion of the transmission network. Furthermore, the company is responsible for the management of the overall electrical system throughout the German Länder of Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg,
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. As transmission system operator active in the Central European market, 50Hertz is responsible for the secure integration of renewable energies, the development of the European electricity market and for maintaining a high level of security of supply. Since 2010, the Belgian grid operator Elia and the Australian infrastructure fund IFM are shareholders of 50Hertz, holding stakes of 60% and 40% respectively. As a European transmission system operator, 50Hertz is part of the Elia Group and a member of ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity. 5/5 For further information, please contact: Volker Kamm, 50Hertz Transmission GmbH, phone 030-5150-3417, fax 030-5150-2199, mobile 0172-3232-759, volker.kamm@50hertz.com