Under the slogan “A fresh start for the neighbourhood”, representatives from politics, project development, the local community and the construction industry came together to celebrate the start of construction work. The slogan draws a parallel between the future indoor swimming pool – set to become the neighbourhood’s sporting hub – and a new beginning at a site where the previous swimming pool has not been in use since 2018.

A new neighbourhood for sport, living and working

‘Holzmarkt 51’ is set to become a vibrant, mixed-use urban neighbourhood that combines sport, living and working in one place. At the heart of the project is the new indoor swimming pool, which will in future provide a wide range of facilities for schools, clubs and the local community. It will be complemented by modern residential, office and commercial spaces, which will revitalise the site in the long term and turn it into an attractive meeting place in the neighbourhood.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by, amongst others, former top swimmer and Olympic champion Britta Steffen as the project’s ambassador, representatives from politics and public administration, the project partners and a school class from Berlin. Together, children and adults took the symbolic first dig, thereby underlining the project’s aim of creating a space for the people of the neighbourhood.

Combined expertise for a challenging construction project

PORR’s Building Construction East and Special Civil Engineering divisions are working closely together to realise the project. The early integration of both disciplines enables the efficient execution of the challenging tasks relating to the excavation, foundations and building construction, as well as coordinated project management from a single source.

“Today’s ground-breaking ceremony marks the start of the visible realisation of a project that goes far beyond a traditional construction project. Holzmarkt 51 creates space for sport, living and working, thereby making an important contribution to the development of the area. Through the close collaboration between our Building Construction East and Specialised Civil Engineering teams, we are pooling our expertise to deliver this challenging project successfully and sustainably,” says Andreas Kimling, Regional Manager for Building Construction East at PORR.