Foundation stone laid at GIZ campus in Bonn

Investment of EUR 158 million – Construction of new building with workspace for 850 staff

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has laid the foundation stone for a new office building at Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32. With a floor area covering 28,000 square metres, the new building will provide workspace for up to 850 staff. Valued at around EUR 158 million, this will be GIZ’s largest ever investment in real estate.

‘The investment underscores GIZ’s commitment to its registered office in Bonn,’ explained Tanja Gönner, Chair of the GIZ Management Board. GIZ recently also invested in a new training centre, the Academy for International Cooperation in Bonn-Röttgen, and the Meander Building in Friedrich-Ebert-Allee. ‘As GIZ we are delighted to be part of Bonn, the global capital for sustainability and climate protection,’ said Gönner. Sustainability is GIZ’s guiding principle, she continued, and links the company in a unique way to the city and the Bonn-based organisations.

Together with the neighbouring Meander Building, the new structure will form a campus which ensures that all GIZ work stations are in close proximity to each other. The two buildings combined will boast a well-developed infrastructure. The new quarters are scheduled for completion in late 2019.

Dorothee Fiedler, Director-General at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), commended the construction project. ‘The GIZ campus building will be a prime example of sustainability: GIZ is leading the way.’ She added that the new building was a strong sign of the German Government’s commitment to Bonn. ‘If you are investing so much in modern, sustainable office space, you intend to stay a long time.’

Franz-Josef Lersch-Mense, Minister of Federal Affairs, Europe and Media as well as Head of the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Mayor of Bonn, Ashok Sridharan also stated that laying the foundation stone highlights GIZ’s strong link to the City of Bonn.

‘Sustainability has been given top priority in terms of the building’s design, construction and operation,’ said GIZ Managing Director Hans-Joachim Preuß. For instance, the roof of the building will be equipped with a photovoltaic system, which is to generate around 15 per cent of its electricity requirements. As with the Meander Building opened in 2016, it is hoped the project will earn Gold certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).