Topping-out ceremony for Campus building in Bonn

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH recently hoisted the traditional topping-out wreath to the top of its new office building at 32 Friedrich-Ebert-Allee. The company is investing some 165 million euros in this six-storey building, which is being constructed by the Ten Brinke Group. It will provide workspace for 850 staff on 28,000 square metres of floor space, which GIZ’s Bonn-based employees are set to occupy from late 2019. Together with the neighbouring Meander Building, the new office building will form the GIZ Campus, uniting all the staff in one single location. Some 1,080 staff currently work in and around Bonn in a number of different buildings.

In her welcoming address, Tanja Gönner, Chair of the GIZ Management Board, thanked all the workers and specialists involved in the construction work. ‘The Campus building reflects the qualities of Bonn as a location: it is committed to sustainability. It is a part of the international institutional landscape. And it offers space for new encounters and cooperative projects,’ said Gönner. In March, the organisation opened a training centre in Bonn-Röttgen. ‘The new buildings reinforce our commitment to Bonn,’ she said.

‘With GIZ we have a strong, renowned and experienced implementing organisation at our side. Its expertise and activities on the ground are part of the foundations of German development cooperation. Close collaboration is vital – with partner countries, KfW Development Bank and other partners from the private sector, civil society and the academic and research community, as well as with our economic cooperation officers in the German embassies,’ said Ariane Hildebrandt, Deputy Director General at the (German) Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The Mayor of Bonn, Ashok Sridharan said: ‘We are grateful for GIZ’s strong presence and active involvement in Bonn, which this new building impressively underscores. GIZ’s clear commitment to sustainability – something that is expressed once again in this project – makes it an important ambassador for our city around the world. Together with GIZ and other stakeholders involved in international and development policy cooperation – from the United Nations to research institutes, private companies and NGOs – we are creating a unique centre of excellence for sustainable development here in Bonn.’

Charging stations for electric vehicles and modern working environment

Similarly to the neighbouring Meander Building, the new building is to receive Gold certification from the German Sustainable Building Council. ‘The installation of a photovoltaic system on the roof of the building is planned. This will cover around 15 per cent of its electricity requirements and help supply power for eight charging stations for electric vehicles,’ explained GIZ Managing Director Hans-Joachim Preuß. Employees will be able to recharge their electric vehicles in the basement. Moreover, with this new building the federal enterprise will be better equipped to handle the work processes of the modern age. ‘Depending on the task in hand, our staff will be able to decide where and how they want to work: in a quiet environment where they can concentrate, or with other colleagues in team spaces, where the emphasis will be on creativity and interaction,’ says Preuß.

The GIZ Campus will help staff work together closely and offer them a well-developed infrastructure. Its facilities will include many areas for communicating and socialising, as well as an auditorium seating 500 for events. With the projects for the Campus and the training centre in Röttgen, GIZ is investing more than 267 million euros in its registered office in Bonn.