Extension to the Federal Chancellery
The Federal Chancellery suffers from an acute lack of office space. A new extension is to be built so that all its staff can be housed under one roof. Plans for the newbuild, which includes 400 offices, a new helipad, and space for postal and logistics services, were presented in Berlin today.
2 min reading time
A new arched building is to be constructed at one end of the Chancellery Park
Photo: Schultes Frank Architekten
More tasks, more staff
Since staff first moved into the Federal Chancellery in 2001 they have had to take on additional tasks – including issues such as the turnaround in energy policy, the fight against terrorism, immigration, cybercrime and digitalisation.
And it is not only the range of tasks which has increased: the number of staff in the Chancellery has risen from 410 to 750. As the original buiding was conceived for a maximum of 460 members of staff, more than 200 have had to move their desks to other buildings outside the Chancellery Park. The aim in building this extension is to ensure that all Chancellery staff can be housed under one roof.
Chancellery Campus
An additional 400 offices are to built in an arched, six-storey building on the Campus in the Chancellery Park. Two one-storey buildings will be attached to it and will house additional service facilities for Chancellery staff, including a cantine and space for events.
Additional space will be created by replacing the current helipad in the park with an elevated platform. An area for postal and logistics services will be provided on adjoining federally owned land. A second footbridge across the River Spree will link the extension to the existing Chancellery building.
A second footbridge is to be built at the southern end of the Chancellery Park connecting the existing and the new building
Photo: Schultes Frank Architekten
Complex planning process
Because this is a very complex building project the planning process is set to last until 2023 and will include a conceptual design phase as well as planning permission, planning for tendering and contracting, and contract conclusion phases. A four-year construction period will follow. Building is expected to be completed by 2027, and staff could be moving in by 2028. According to current estimates, costs will amount to a total 460 million euros.
The extension will be planned and built by the architectural firm of Schultes and Frank, with the the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) having overall charge. Axel Schultes describes the design as "a needs-based newbuild, closely linked to the original building via the Spree." Schultes Frank Architekten were responsible for designing the existing Chancellery building and also came up with the idea of the "Band des Bundes" (Federal Ribbon): The German Bundestag and Federal Chancellery buildings are aligned, linking West and East, as they span the River Spree.