A market place full of opportunities: Newly completed Forum Adlershof – communication and event centre

When asked by business partners about the exact location of his office, Gerhard W. Steindorf used to explain in a somewhat roundabout way that it was “located in the building right next to the Dorint hotel”. As of now, giving directions will be much easier for him: With the Forum Adlershof, Adlershof Projekt GmbH’s place of business, now has a prestigious counterpart – and Adlershof a new, attractive centre.

Nearly one hundred years old, the two listed laboratory and workshop buildings on Rudower Chaussee are the oldest buildings on site. Today, after comprehensive refurbishment and extension through a glass-paned annex, the buildings serve as a communication and event centre for Adlershof’s businesses, university departments and research institutions. In addition to a café, Forum Adlershof comprises event spaces for up to 170 guests. An ideal place for location-specific events of any kind – such as congresses, receptions and lectures – as Heidrun Wuttke, Adlershof Projekt’s project manager for location-specific marketing activities, points out.

The communication centre thus complements the so-called ‘Stadtplatz’ with its two moving heads by artists Josefine Günschel and Margund Smolka. The square was opened in 2008 and marks Adlershof’s centre. In addition to offering options for outdoor eating, the space is suitable for  various other planned events such as public viewings, concerts and possibly even a farmer’s market. However, the square’s development into a public recreation area including lawns for sunbathing was not only discarded on practical grounds: “Usually, city squares will be paved with stones”, says Heidrun Wuttke. “In fact, Adlershof has deliberately been designed to be a science, business and media city, not a park.”

Heidrun Wuttke is convinced that the newly completed Forum Adlershof will substantially contribute to the location’s overall quality and attractiveness for investors. “Once the tramway commences its operation, by the end of 2011, café visitors will be able to enjoy a great urban ambience.”

by Christian Hunziker