Techspace Eiswerk – From industrial revolution to technological revolution
In December 2017 we opened our first international location in Kreuzberg, Berlin. Fast forward 12 months and we’re renovating Berlin’s iconic ice cooling house, once again making it a centre of innovation, growth and productivity.
Working in collaboration with property developers Trockland, we are preserving the building’s loft-like areas, high ceilings and industrial style. Our Co-founder, David Galsworthy said,
“Eiswerk is an exciting project and a statement of Techspace’s commitment to support Berlin’s expanding technology community. It is an important step in our European expansion plans and we are delighted to be partnering with Trockland to bring a landmark development to life”.
Situated on Kopenicker Straße, Techspace Eiswerk is our largest space to date (at 4000m²) and will house 700+ new members across 6 floors.
Building a global platform…
Eiswerk’s redevelopment marks an exciting stage in our European expansion, demonstrating the ongoing opportunity that Berlin represents as it continues to become a maturing tech hub for scale-ups. We’re thrilled to support this growth and connect more technology companies from across the globe so that we can create long-term value and overcome scale-up challenges together.
…with a sustainable approach
In line with the redevelopment concept for the site, we’re committed to carefully renovating the cooling house and integrating with the local community. As with all of our spaces, we’ve chosen a location that appeals to teams both culturally and commercially, so we can help our members grow sustainably and bring economic benefits to the local area.
Restoring a landmark
In 1893 entrepreneur Carl Bolle acquired the grounds and began producing artificial ice. It was Bolle who built the high-rise cooling house, one of the very first in Europe. Bolle’s success enabled him to establish the company, Norddeutsche Eiswerke A.G which had 3 locations in Berlin.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Norddeutsche Eiswerke A.G. added an apartment house and factory on the site in Kopenicker Straße. Between 1913 and 1924 the factory was modernised and grew to become Germany’s largest ice production and cooling factory.
During WWII, a large section of the residential building was destroyed by bombs. After the war, Bolle’s company was dispossessed and converted into a state-owned enterprise. By 1991 the production of ice blocks was discontinued due to the declining demand for cooling storage and ice production.
The state company responsible for the privatisation of East German companies (TLG Treuhand) took on the historical site including its buildings but Eiswerk continued to deteriorate until property developers, Trockland acquired one of the two plots of land in 2016. Two years on and we’re partnering with Trockland to create our shared vision and bring Eiswerk into the 21st century.
Techspace Eiswerk will open its doors in 2020. Any interested members should contact us to find out more.
