This competition-winning design houses the German Chamber of Commerce and the local Federation of Industrialists, giving Ludwid Erhard Haus both civic identity and a self-financing commercial development.

The steel-clad building is comprised of fifteen steel arches of progressively differing spans that create a ribcage that undulates in height. The unusual shape responds to exacting building restrictions while maximising use of the site.

Inside, vast, open-plan floor plates are supported by the ribcage and a series of slender, fire-resistant steel hangars, with an expansive boulevard at ground level creating a central public thoroughfare.

Its facilities are arranged along the naturally ventilated internal promenade that runs parallel to Fasanenstrasse. From the ground floor, aluminium-clad lifts soar upwards, transporting staff to the offices above. Pierced by full-height atria, all offices have spectacular views across Berlin. Below ground is the impressive stock exchange floor, also illuminated by the atria.

Realised on a tightly controlled budget, and achieving low energy consumption, running costs and pollutant emissions, this multi-purpose project has become a popular city landmark that has come to represent Berlin’s growing prosperity and optimistic spirit.