With the topping-out ceremony for the Elisabeth Selbert House, PORR celebrated a significant milestone in the construction of a new office and administrative building for the German Bundestag. The new building is being constructed on the corner of Unter den Linden and Schadowstraße, in the immediate vicinity of government and embassy buildings. The construction milestone was celebrated on 22 September 2026 – the 130th birthday of the building’s namesake, Elisabeth Selbert.

Topping-out speech and on-site discussions

After the guests had gathered on the ground floor of the future building, Prof. Dr Alexander von Erdély, Spokesman for the Executive Board of BImA, opened the official part of the topping-out ceremony. Omid Nouripour, Vice-President and Chair of the German Bundestag’s Council of Elders’ Committee on Construction and Spatial Affairs, then delivered a welcoming address. The traditional topping-out speech was read by PORR foreman Gerd Spörl, who, in accordance with old custom, smashed his glass on the floor.

At the topping-out banquet that followed, the guests took the opportunity to raise a toast to the progress made on the building and to round off the afternoon together

Workplace for the German Bundestag

Once completed, the Elisabeth-Selbert-Haus will offer around 200 office workstations across a gross floor area of approximately 13,000 m². Distinctive features of the building include a spacious entrance foyer, a striking spiral staircase as well as open communal areas with atriums spanning multiple storeys. The ground floor of the Elisabeth Selbert House is to be used in future as an exhibition space for the Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation.