Hines to build 665 residential units in Berlin-Schöneberg

Hines, the international real estate firm, is sustainably increasing the appeal of the city quarter of Südkreuz (“Stadtquartier Südkreuz”), located in the south of Berlin, with revitalisation and development of the Schöneberger Linse neighborhood.

This is currently one of the major residential projects in Berlin. It will involve focusing on the local social requirements and future needs for a cross-generational, cohesive living environment. A central concept for the project developer is the promotion of interactivity between the future residents. Hines is planning to achieve this by establishing a wide range of community amenities at Südkreuz. On August 7, 2019, a neighborhood festival celebrated the development together with the people involved in construction and guests from business and government with the aim of presenting the project in the public domain. Senator for Urban Development in Berlin, Katrin Lompscher, praised the city quarter of Südkreuz in her welcome speech as being part of the new urban district Schöneberger Linse: “There will be new apartments in this area, which are conveniently located and with a kindergarten and communal areas in the neighborhood – a quarter of them will be rent-controlled. I am pleased that a lively quarter for young and old will be built here, ready for occupancy by the end of next year.”  

By autumn 2020, 665 residential units for around 1,200 residents will be constructed on a total area of 21,430 square meters. The homes will include 213 microapartments for students and 116 subsidized social apartments for rent. There will be a selection of apartments with between one and four rooms and the floorspace will range from 16 to 115 square meters. There will also be 11,550 square meters of office and commercial space as well as a comprehensive range of community amenities.

Christoph Reschke, Co-Managing Director of Hine Germany says: “The Stadtquartier Südkreuz is the first residential project of its kind in Europe undertaken by Hines. Our strength is that as a company operating on the global stage, we are in a position to contribute international know-how while being able to adopt a regional approach at the same time. This is why we have taken a very close look at innovative living trends and approaches to communal living all over the world. The Quartier Südkreuz combines all these modes of living within a unique project. Our objective is to follow the Berlin tradition of achieving a diverse mix of residents, to incorporate the concept of people living together and to promote maximum living comfort and lifestyle quality for the future residents.”   

Joachim Wintzer, Managing Director at Hines, adds: “With Stadtquartier Südkreuz, we are designing new living spaces for the people of Berlin. Our findings have established that traditional residential models are no longer fit for purpose. Sharing is becoming increasing popular in the living segment. Therefore, we are concentrating on the sharing principle and we have made a significant move into designing the future of residential living.”

Neighborhood and community spirit as a guiding principle

The city quarter of Südkreuz will provide future residents with attractive community amenities that are absolutely unique. The amenities will be available to the residents and they will make a significant contribution to creating a vibrant community for living. The facilities include an extensively landscaped courtyard with pavilion that can be used as event rooms or serve as an outside kitchen. An abundance of garden spaces are also planned where young and old alike can spend time, along with a comprehensive range of sports facilities. These include rock-climbing walls and a dedicated gym. A nursery with a projected 65 places is also planned, together with fully equipped co-working areas, a comprehensive sharing package of e-cars and e-bikes, and spaces for parking more than 1,000 bicycles. An app available exclusively for the residents in the quarter will allow them to adapt the community offerings to their individual requirements at any time.

The excellent connection to the A100 along with Südkreuz railway station serving regional and long-distance destinations provide the quarter with excellent transport links. Public transport takes passengers into the City of Berlin within just six minutes. The architectural design reflects a harmonious overall concept with aesthetic appeal. This is particularly fostered by the variations in the facade elements of the individual buildings. The developer is also working toward the award of a DGNB Gold Certificate from the German Sustainable Building Council in recognition of particularly sustainable construction.

Project manager DU Diederich and Fuchshuber Architects as general planner are partners of Hines in the development of the Quartier Südkreuz. Züblin is the general contractor and Kinzo is responsible for the design of the community spaces.

Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 214 cities in 24 countries. Hines has approximately $120.6 billion of assets under management, including $66.5 billion for which Hines provides fiduciary investment management services, and $54.1 billion for which Hines provides third-party property-level services. The firm has 128 developments currently underway around the world. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired 1,348 properties, totaling over 444 million square feet. The firm’s current property and asset management portfolio includes 512 properties, representing over 223 million square feet. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a pioneering commitment to sustainability, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organizations in the world. Visit www.hines.com for more information.