The International Congress Centre (ICC) in western Berlin, which has been in standby operation since 2014, is moving closer to comprehensive revitalisation. Within the framework of a Europe-wide concept procedure initiated by the State of Berlin on 25 November 2024, an official award recommendation has now been issued for the "ICC Quarter Project Partnership". This recommendation forms the basis for the upcoming negotiation of an exclusivity agreement between the State of Berlin, as the concession grantor, and the project partnership, followed by an approximately two-year assignment phase.
The project partnership brings together a group of stakeholders from various specialist fields. These include Arup Deutschland GmbH, Coloured Fields GmbH, GRAFT Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH, HOCHTIEF Infrastructure GmbH, ICCA Projektgruppe / Stiftung Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank, KVL Projektmanagement Berlin GmbH, Max Dudler GmbH, MIB AG Immobilien und Beteiligungen, and schneider+schumacher Planungsgesellschaft mbH. This constellation considers aspects of project development, urban planning, architecture, monument preservation, art and cultural management, engineering, construction execution, and project control. During the upcoming project preparation phase, issues of building law, financing, monument protection, and the concretisation of the usage and operating concept will be addressed.
Kai Wegner, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, commented on the development, emphasising the creation of a new perspective for the ICC as a Berlin landmark. He highlighted that the building is to become a centre for art, culture, creative industries, and encounters once again, which also implies a strengthening of the exhibition grounds and the entire western part of Berlin. The award recommendation was described as a decisive first step, to be followed by the processing of financing, permitting, and implementation issues.
Franziska Giffey, Mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, noted that the ICC, a Berlin icon, will finally have a future again after years and will develop into a lively and innovative quarter. Christian Gaebler, Senator for Urban Development, Building and Housing, underlined the historical role of the ICC as an international hub and stated that the project partnership's plans enable improved urban integration and an influence on Berlin's overall urban development. Birgit Möhring, Managing Director of BIM Berliner Immobilienmanagement GmbH, highlighted the complexity of the undertaking and the necessity of creating viable conditions for the future project.
The recommended concept envisages developing the ICC into an internationally significant location for art, culture, and innovation. The previously monofunctional use as a congress centre is to be replaced by a diverse and publicly accessible quarter. The new concept is designed for activation seven days a week and proposes five central areas of use. The main hall is intended for flexible uses such as concerts and events, while Hall 2 is to be transformed into an independent, open exhibition and experience space. The central foyer and other areas complement these uses, making the ICC a promise for the city's cultural radiance and an active shaper of the international cultural scene, science, research, education, and hospitality.
