LEADING CITIES INVEST purchases the Mebeshaus building in the center of Berlin

• Trophy building in the city’s newspaper and publishing district near Checkpoint Charlie

• Refurbishment aiming for the top sustainability certificate

The LEADING CITIES INVEST has purchased the Mebeshaus building in Berlin. The property is located at the center of the Berlin newspaper and publishing district near the historic “Checkpoint Charlie”. The old office building at Charlottenstrasse 82, designed for the Iduna insurance company by architect and member of the Prussian Academy of Art Paul Mebes in 1913, is a classic building with an ornate, listed facade. The property is being refurbished and let by the seller, the project developer and investment company QUEST Investment Partners, within the framework of their repositioning. The refurbishment aims for a top-level sustainability certification for the trophy building within approximately one year. It has been agreed to keep the sales price confidential.

The Mebeshaus building marks the first investment of KanAm Grund Group’s LEADING CITIES INVEST in the German capital Berlin and a further improvement to its diversification and location quality. With around 3.8 million inhabitants, Berlin is the largest city in Germany and the European Union. The direct surroundings of the property at Charlottenstrasse is dominated by state and federal authorities (such as the upper house of the German parliament, Bundesrat, and the Federal Ministry of Finance), the neighboring Axel Springer property and the Rocket Tower. Potsdamer Platz, Gendarmenmarkt, Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island are all located within walking distance, and subway and bus connections are available at Checkpoint Charlie.

The Mebeshaus building design, with its approximately 4,000 square meters of space, was way ahead of its time offering open-plan office space in parts of the building, free from supporting pillars. The average lettable area per story is around 495 square meters. This offers huge flexibility in terms of area design. The current interior area design includes offices with up to three workstations and open-plan offices as well as separable conference rooms. Originally, the building was meant to serve only as the seat of the Iduna insurance company, but still in the design phase, the plans were amended to construct a variable use office building. During World War II, the building was home to the Reich Press Office and other media institutions. The property’s last occupant was Helaba. Savills advised the KanAm Grund Group on the deal.

The LEADING CITIES INVEST has now got a presence in selected future-oriented locations throughout Europe, from Helsinki in Finland to Barcelona in Spain, from Dublin in Ireland to Warsaw in Poland. The property portfolio now includes 32 individual properties in 24 locations across 9 countries. Having transformed its energy supply to en-sure sustainability, the LEADING CITIES INVEST was able to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,821 tonnes in 2019 alone.