HVAC technology Pressehaus Berlin

Challenge

Built in 1973, the „Haus des Berliner Verlags“ on Alexanderplatz was one of the prestige projects of the former GDR. After initial modernization in the 1990s, the building was now to be completely refurbished and redesigned according to historical models. En.plus GmbH was commissioned with heating, cooling and ventilation technology for the 17-story building. A real challenge.

Solution

The location of the construction site for the Pressehaus Berlin in the middle of Alexanderplatz was already one of the organizational challenges that had to be mastered by the project and construction management of En.plus. And not only during the spectacular transport of the two cooling machines, each weighing eleven tons, to the roof of the 80-meter-high building by a 500-ton crane. The daily delivery of materials for all trades was also anything but easy to manage. An additional complicating factor was the enormous time pressure. Although the completion of the shell of the building had been delayed by more than three months for various reasons, the date of completion was not up for discussion. The client's contracts with the new main tenants had been made, and the corresponding notices of termination had been issued. And so organizational changes had to be made on the construction site over a wide area. Of the total of six elevators in the building, only two were available at times. The stairwell had already been demolished. As the work progressed, additional consideration had to be given to the tenants who had already moved into floors two to nine. It is all the more impressive to now see the installed building services in operation on site. The two enormous 970 kW chillers, which were installed on the roof of the high-rise building with a view of the TV tower, are connected to a downstream refrigeration control center, which is housed in a very confined space in the stairwell tower on the top floor. One of the two chillers supplies the cooling demand for the building convectors, while the other supplies the AHU systems. At the request of a tenant, four additional 86 kW chillers were positioned on the roof for cooling servers. In the basement, on the other hand, the heating system, a hot water district heating solution, shines in all its glory. The 1,600 kW system is fed via a district heating station with a plate heat exchanger. A connected heating distributor reaches the individual usage areas via ten outlets. The office levels are supplied with heated or cooled air by 988 fan convectors installed on the outer walls and 69 air handling units. Four ventilation systems were installed per office area to ensure a pleasant indoor climate. Another five ventilation systems in the basement supply the commercial areas on the first floor and second floor. The warm air for all wet areas and stairwells is distributed via tube convectors.

Location

Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 29
10178 Berlin