Groundbreaking ceremony for Zalando headquarters project of UBM subsidiary Münchner Grund in Berlin Berlin / Munich, 06-09-2016 The groundbreaking ceremony for the future headquarters of the Zalando SE was celebrated in Berlin today in the presence of Michael Müller, governing Mayor of Berlin, Andreas Geisel, Senator for Urban Development and Environment, Senate Building Director Regula Lüscher and David Schneider, founder and board member of Zalando SE. With planning permission granted in August, Münchner Grund Immobilien Bauträger GmbH - a subsidiary of UBM Development AG will now begin construction on the seven-story office complex on the Anschutz site in Berlin-Friedrichshain. The project is expected to be completed in 2018. Zalando will rent a total of 45,600 square meters of floor space in the new development. The Zalando headquarters consists of two buildings with 31,000 and 14,600 square meters of floor space and will be constructed according to plans by the architectural firm HENN. The building design was decided by an architectural competition. On its completion, the building will house around 2,700 Zalando staff. PORR Germany was commissioned as the general contractor for the project. Berlin's Mayor Michael Müller was pleased with the commencement of construction: "Today's groundbreaking ceremony is a sign of the strong and sustained demographic and economic growth of Berlin. With the further expansion of its headquarters on the site, Zalando is determinedly becoming one of the largest employers in Berlin. I would like to wish Europe s strongest online retailer all the best for this and a lot of success for the future!" Andreas Geisel, Senator for Urban Development and Environment, said: "It is a good sign for the city that office space is once again being built. This shows that Berlin is continuing to grow, both physically and economically. We still have sufficient space in the city. Berlin provides the best conditions for anyone who is looking to start a business or settle down with their companies here. Today's groundbreaking ceremony is the best proof of this." David Schneider, founder and board member of Zalando SE, said: "As one of the largest private sector employers in Berlin, we are delighted to offer our employees a working environment that brings our corporate divisions closer together and that promotes exchange and creative work. The new headquarters will become the central point of our Zalando campus, on which more than 5,000 Zalandos will work together."
The modern design concept emphasizes the innovative strength of the tenant Prof. Gunter Henn, head of the architectural firm Henn, said: "The central market place makes the company and its identities noticeable - it allows exchanges beyond the borders of its own discipline." Christian Berger, managing director of Münchner Grund Immobilien Bauträger GmbH: "After the successful completion of the "HOTEL + OFFICE CAMPUS" and the "Arena Boulevard" projects, we have now begun our third project on the site. We are also very pleased to be able to build for Zalando again. Reliability and quality distinguishes our work and these are qualities which are appreciate by tenants such as Zalando. We look forward to the implementation of this ambitious project which has been designed to meet the DGNB gold standards." He adds: "We grow with our challenges and so we want to fulfill the ambitious and creative design of the architect and create a signet which is recognizable beyond the city and which highlights the importance and the innovative spirit of the tenant. The Zalando headquarters reflects the flair of Berlin as a creative and innovative capital. The footprints of the buildings newly interpret the typical Berlin block perimeter development by moving the grid structure diagonally to the local development plan and shifting the courtyards to the outer edges of the plots. This helps to create transitions between the offices and the public spaces. More visual links into and out of the buildings are provided by the combination of the transparent and translucent facades, which also allows the diversity of the company to be reflected outwards.
Zalando Headquarter Henn Architekten
V.l. Marko Lehmann (branch manager PORR Berlin), Prof. Gunter Henn (architects Henn), David Schneider (managing board Zalando), Michael Müller (governing mayor of Berlin), Christian Berger (managing director Münchner Grund), Andreas Geisel (senator of urban development and enviroment, Berlin) Münchner Grund Immobilien Bauträger GmbH is a subsidiary of UBM Development AG. The company operates throughout Germany as a project and property developer. The company s focus lies with the asset classes hotel, commercial, office and residential properties. From planning and development through to construction and disposal, all services are offered from one source. Münchner Grund distinguishes itself with over 50 years of experience and develops exclusively high quality, sophisticated and high-yield properties for own use or investment. UBM Development AG is a pure player and specializes itself in real estate development. The company s strategic focus is on the well-defined asset classes hotel, office and residential properties in the home markets of Germany, Austria and Poland. UBM was able to considerably expand their business in 2015 and for the third year in a row provide record performance and results.
For further information, please contact: Christian Berger Managing Director Münchner Grund Immobilien Bauträger GmbH Tel.: +49 30 930 299 100 Email: berlin@muenchnergrund.de Mag. Milena Ioveva Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications UBM Development AG Tel.: +43 (0) 50 626 1763 Email: public.relations@ubm.at