Growing together. An evolutionary process. The “Zeughof”.

Yes, and in many different ways: residents, tenants and visitors have brought a degree of urban flair to us and have contributed to the lively atmosphere that has been the hallmark of the “Zeughof” ever since. So the question was, how could we encourage this? This required an overarching concept for the diverse space taken up by offices, manufacturing, commerce and warehouses, which harmoniously and sustainably blends the “Zeughof” with its surroundings. This was particularly important because we have a competitor on our doorstep: the “Mediaspree” hotspot – a magnet for hip companies in the fields of media, technology and creative industries. We had to counter its appeal with a coherent district concept. So what could be more obvious than to open the door to urban living in the form of people and their opinions?

Not really. The motto “thinking ahead” was already put into practice back then. But in principle, the “Zeughof” was the first time the BEOSphere became apparent Even if we did not have a name for it at the time, essential aspects of its basic idea became clear. This includes managing the portfolio in a respectful and sustainable way – a typical BEOS principle – as well as creatively reinterpreting spaces in the interests of the tenants. Think of it like an energy transfer. When people get the chance to implement their creative ideas, they are then in a position to put their energy into the spaces they have. Seeing this ourselves continues to give new inspiration to us at BEOS.

As we know, energy flows and triggers reactions. We have encouraged this convergence with events such as summer festivals, food trucks, ice cream trucks and mulled wine tours – but you can only have limited control over how a community feels. Let’s put it this way: the spark has simply jumped from the neighbourhood that was already there to the “Zeughof” in the form of the many – mostly young – people. However, the natural way in which this happened also showed us that we – still acting on intuition at the time – had got a lot of things right. For example, by meeting the people in and around the “Zeughof” on an equal footing and treating our tenants like guests. In principle, we had already contributed a lot of what is now the essence of the BEOSphere back in the early 2010s.

I would instead ask you, what exactly is a district? Of course, it also has to do with size, but we define it above all as a place where the environment – and that means first and foremost the people – both participates and gains benefits. And this is precisely the value by which we measure the quality of our asset and district management. We approached the “Zeughof” without even seeing it as a place to live – but it has evolved for precisely this purpose, often inspired by the sometimes unexpected energy demonstrated by the tenants. We are currently working hard on the next chapter of this special district story: at the end of 2023, our wish came true to repurchase the neighbouring property on Köpenicker Strasse. The main entrance is located there, which completes the district from an architectural perspective. Our goal remains unchanged: To further develop the “Zeughof” in the heart of Berlin together and with the participation of all current and future “Kreuzbergers”.