In the presence of the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, the starting signal was given today for the development of the pioneering Europacity quarter. “The office building TOUR TOTAL and Europacity are a welcome sign for the development of the city. Efficiency, dynamism and not least environmental sustainability come together in this development project in a truly innovative way”, said Wowereit.

At 69 metres high, the TOUR TOTAL will mark the prominent northern point of the square Europaplatz. This is emerging around Berlin’s central station on a 40 hectares site. The construction project is being realised using the most modern and efficient building techniques. The TOUR TOTAL itself has been designed as a Green Building, and will serve from 2012 on as the German headquarters for the French oil company TOTAL, providing space for around 500 employees. Completion of the building is scheduled for the third quarter of 2012.

The laying of the foundation stone for the TOUR TOTAL is in the eyes of Bernhard H. Hansen, CEO of Vivico, the beginning of a new urban and modern quality of life in central Berlin: “We are building with environmental, social and economic sustainability in mind. We are aiming to create a mixed-use city quarter: office buildings and shops, as well as residential blocks and nurseries, will shape the district as much as parks, the shipping canal, the city port and various artistic uses.” For this vision to become reality, strong partners are needed: “We are delighted that we have found with TOTAL Deutschland a pioneer who shares the vision of sustainable city development and is pointing the way to the future with its own company headquarters certified to German sustainable building standards”.

For Hans-Christian Gützkow, Managing Director of TOTAL Deutschland, the planned move into the new building shows a spirit of optimism for the German subsidiary of the French mineral oil and gas company: “The TOUR TOTAL as our new headquarters is an apparent sign for our lasting commitment on the German market! We admit to the new location and stand for 500 jobs in Berlin. It is our intention to continuously grow in Germany and establish ourselves as one of the top-three provider of mineral oil products.”

The TOUR TOTAL was designed by the Berlin office of Barkow Leibinger architects, which is also responsible for the site master plan of the neighbouring site of Bayer Schering AG. “The TOUR TOTAL marks the start of the development of something completely new. The building’s form and colonnades ensure it fits appropriately into the urban space, whilst the facade gives the tower its very particular look. Through the repetition and variation of precast concrete modules the severity of the grid dissolves – observed from near and far the building is covered in three-dimensional lines, which strengthen the effect of light and shade", said Regine Leibinger.