Situated on the northern edge of Moabit, the site now home to Berlin Decks has always been a center of industry: In 1912, the Thyssenkrupp Group opened a brick building on the Spree canal as an administrative office. Gradually, various manufacturers settled in the area: porcelain from Saxony, machines from Borsig and light bulbs from AEG are just a few of the goods produced here since the beginning of the 20th century. It’s this heritage that Berlin Decks draws upon, building a diverse and innovative working environment that brings together creative thinking, development and production.
BEOS AG acquires the property for a German investor group in order to develop Berlin Decks - a modern and central campus for the working world of the 21st century. The original brick structure remains completely intact, modernized and supplemented with a contemporary building complex. The multi-level structure of the building makes it ideal for large, open and individual rooms.
The Thyssenkrupp company celebrates two hundred years of operations.
The brick building on Friedrich-Krause-Ufer is extended with a passageway on the northern side. With the north-west facade of the building now lacking windows, the passageway’s huge lintel and the balcony on the dormer are welcomed as the building’s most striking features.
Borsig AG, which has been producing tools at their plant on the site since the mid-19th century, is newly established as a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG, which belongs to the federal assets of West Germany.
After the founding of the Vereinigte Stahlwerk AG (United Steelworks), the Thyssenkrupp company takes over the Berlin branches of various metal companies. Between 1928 and 1929 the warehouse in Berlin is expanded – by this time it is the most extensive in the world.
The riverside promenade on the Spree canal is named in memory of Friedrich Krause (*01.03.1856 – †11.08.1925). The Berlin civil engineer and construction manager not only led the Lindentunnel and Westhafen projects, but was also responsible for the construction of numerous bridges in the capital.
The thermal power station in nearby Moabit has been considered a pioneer in power generation ever since it was commissioned at the turn of the century: in 1923, the largest steam turbine of its time goes into operation, and in 1924, firing by pulverized coal is tested for the first time on a converted grate boiler.
The Thyssenkrupp industrial group erects a red brick administration building on Friedrich-Krause-Ufer.