A Milestone on Bleibtreustraße

New Clubhouse: VBKI Celebrates the Topping-Out Ceremony

Text Sebastian Thomas | Head of Communications and Marketing

Under bright sunshine and spring-like temperatures, we celebrated the topping-out ceremony for our new clubhouse on Bleibtreustraße at the end of April together with about 150 guests. The beautiful April day provided the perfect setting for an important milestone in the new construction project in Berlin-Charlottenburg, which is scheduled for completion by early 2027.

Following the opening remarks by VBKI President Markus Voigt, speeches were given by Sylvia Becker-Daiber, managing partner of bdp real estate; architect Anette Axthelm of the architectural firm Axthelm Rolvien; and Stephan Strunck, managing director of Glass Ingenieurbau Leipzig.

In his speech, Markus Voigt paid special tribute to the work of the tradespeople, in whose honor the topping-out ceremony is traditionally held. He thanked everyone involved on the construction site for their daily dedication, reliability, and professionalism—especially given the unusually long winter and challenging conditions. He particularly highlighted the collaboration with Glass Ingenieurbau Leipzig and the team led by Götz Gutte and Stephan Strunck, which he said played a decisive role in ensuring that construction remained fully on schedule despite a long and harsh winter. He also thanked the client’s representative, bdp real estate, led by Sylvia Becker-Daiber, for their dedicated management of the project, as well as architect Anette Axthelm for a design that combines openness, clarity, and timelessness. Voigt also expressed his gratitude to the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district, Deutsche Bahn, and the neighbors on Bleibtreustraße for their constructive support and patience during the construction period.

At the same time, the VBKI president emphasized the importance of the new building for the association: The new building will not only serve as a modern headquarters for the association, but also as a place for exchange, engagement, and shaping the future—just in time for the VBKI’s 150th anniversary.

The new VBKI building is being constructed on a 530-square-meter lot directly adjacent to the light rail line near the Savignyplatz S-Bahn station. The seven-story new building will house the VBKI’s administrative offices, event and conference spaces, and office space. In total, the building will comprise approximately 2,100 square meters of leasable space, or about 2,510 square meters of gross floor area. At its heart will be a public area on the ground floor and first floor, which is intended to serve as a forum for events, discussions, and networking.

Sustainability also plays a central role in the project: The building is being constructed to the highest environmental standards and features, among other things, a heat pump, a photovoltaic system, and low-carbon concrete. The new building has already received DGNB Platinum pre-certification and meets the criteria of the EU Taxonomy for sustainable investments.

One of the highlights of the topping-out ceremony was the symbolic “last nail,” followed by the traditional highlight on the first floor: As the topping-out wreath was ceremoniously hoisted, foreman Mirko Vegelahn recited the carpenters’ toast and wished the new building good luck and success for the next phase of construction. Together with Ute Weiland, managing director of the VBKI, the completion of the building’s shell was thus celebrated.

Afterward, the guests took the opportunity to chat and network over food and drinks—with a view of a building that is set to become a prominent venue for economic dialogue, social responsibility, and Berlin city life.