The Berlin skyline may get an addition in the upcoming months. On July 1, Russian investor MonArch Group submitted the planning application for the construction of 150-meter high skyscraper to be built in the Alexanderplatz. German property developer Bewocon is responsible for marketing the apartments.
It will surpass the city’s current tallest building, the Park Inn Berlin Alexanderplatz, which stands at 125-meters high. The city will still have a higher structure though. The Fernsehturm Berlin, also known as the Berlin TV Tower, is 368 meters high.
The wait for approval
Bewocan has still not been granted permission. However, the executive partner Karl Zeller is confident this should happen by September, with for construction at the end of the year. It is estimated to be completed by 2019. He says the “iconic project” “symbolizes the prosperity and diversity of our capital city”.
“We have worked very closely with city planners to ensure that our visions for the tower completely align and are very confident that we will get the go-ahead to begin work in the coming months,” says Zeller.
What will the skyscraper include?
Inside, the building will contain 475 apartments spread across 39 floors and 24,000 square meters. It will also include a spa and gym, cinema and terrace for residents. There will be six floors of shops and offices. Underground, there will be four more floors. There, you can find a car park, equipped with electric cars and bikes available for renting.
The builders have already received inquiries from more than 300 prospective buyers. Costs start at €5,000 per square meter for at least a 30 square meter apartment on the lower floors. As the apartments move up, so does the price. For those located on the highest floors, prices may reach €15,000 per square meter.
The first residential skyscraper in Alexanderplatz
Construction plans for this project come at the right time. The City is looking to shape Alexanderplatz into a more residential, urban area. Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, State Secretary for Building and Housing in the Senate Department for Urban Development has called the tower “a very interesting project” and that “it will help us to take the first steps towards more urbanism at Alexanderplatz.”
However, don’t expect any low-cost housing here. Alexanderplatz does not follow the model of cooperative land development. This entails that 25% of the apartments must be offered at socially acceptable prices.
According to Andres Steinle, “The residential towers define the residential new as an all-inclusive service of a luxury hotel.” For example, 24-hour reception, a mailroom, laundry, dry-cleaning and a valet should all be part of the package.
