A flagship project for Berlin

Berlin's new flagship project is reaching for the sky at a breathtaking pace. The first few floors are already finished, and the basic structure is coming into view. The Estrel Tower – a new addition to the city’s skyline – is taking shape.

Several key milestones will be reached before the end of this year. In March, we will cut the ribbon to our first model room, located at Ziegrastraße 1. In April, construction will begin on the atrium, as well as on the ballroom and several breakout rooms. In June, it will be time to commence the building’s façade – another big step closer to completing this remarkable project.

As a mixed-use building, the tower will provide an open space for exceptional ex periences. In addition to 525 hotel rooms and serviced apartments, a 9,000 m 2 state-of-the-art office and co-working space, and a 2,000 m 2 event space will be built into the base of the tower. At the heart of the tower will be an open-plan atrium filled with plants and natural light – a new take on an Estrel signature.

Of course, culinary delights are on the menu, too. Spanning the 43rd and 44th floors, a farm-to-table restaurant will serve food directly from the source; a farm has already been acquired in Brandenburg specifically for this purpose. Another highlight will be the Skybar on the top floor, with an impressive outdoor terrace boasting panoramic views over Berlin. Private dining and meeting rooms are also planned for the top floor.

Another key aspect of this project, which has been central to planning right from the start, is sustainability. In addition to green roofs with solar panels and wildflower meadows in the outdoor areas, the building’s façade has been designed with vertical fins that are specially adapted to the sun's rays. These will aide in regulating the building’s inside temperature during the summertime. The interior design uses regional wood and recycled materials, and more than half of the spaces in the parking facility are reserved for bicycles. The whole project goes hand in hand with an innovative carbon-reducing energy concept.

In creating a new space for diversity, sustainability, and innovation, the Estrel Tower is set to become a new highlight of the German capital, and a favourite among its visitors.

Interview with Maxim Streletzki

The Estrel Tower is a flagship project for Berlin. Has Germany ever seen anything like this before?

Nothing quite like this has ever been built before, especially since the tower will be connected to existing buildings. We're doing a lot of things differently. Overall, the nature of this project is pretty unique. Surely you must have encountered a few obstacles along the way – what were they?

One of the biggest challenges came down to external factors – like the war in Ukraine and the pandemic – which caused shortages in the building materials supply chain. Additionally, there were a lot of other construction projects underway in Berlin when we began work on the tower, so we found ourselves in fierce competition with other companies over materials. Since then, the construction rate in Berlin has slowed down again, and the situation has eased a bit as a result of rising interest rates and the downward economic trend.

We also ran into problems with the construction trench and foundation piles. The foundation slab is 3.8 m thick and therefore extremely heavy, which complicated the construction process. Then we noticed that water was seeping through the slab, because it was not completely sealed. That set us back another six weeks. Now we're looking for ways to streamline the next steps to get back on schedule.

The Estrel Tower will create many new opportunities for the local area, which is also constantly changing and gaining popularity. How do you think the tower will affect Neukölln?

Of course, we hope that it will have a positive effect on the area. Because of its size, our new connection to the motorway, and the fact that the airport is just ten minutes away, the tower does feel a bit like the gateway to the city. This is where the city centre starts, and the Tower marks that border, offering a scenic first impression of Berlin. I think that people may start to see Neukölln in a new light.

You've been very involved in this project. What has been your personal highlight?

My personal highlight of this project has been working with my dad. That’s been a really cool aspect of the project. It's a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, and it's enjoyable, too. We get along well, and I benefit a lot from his wisdom – of course, he knows a lot more than I do. But I think we complement each other. Obviously, this tower project is all about the building itself, but in the end, it's always about the people who make it happen. Working with such a great team is a lot of fun.