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Potsdam is planning a million-dollar renovation: The Kremlin will become a university campus!
Hasso Plattner is planning to renovate the former state parliament in Potsdam into a new university campus for 6,000 students.
Potsdam is planning a million-dollar renovation: The Kremlin will become a university campus!
An impressive transformation is imminent in the Brandenburg state capital Potsdam. The former ruins of the state parliament, which sits enthroned on the Brauhausberg, are undergoing extensive renovation. SAP billionaire Hasso Plattner, who wants to use his vision to inspire the scientific landscape where he lives, has pledged financial support for this billion-dollar project. This is reported by several media outlets, among others daily news.
The unraveling building has been vacant since fall 2018 and has suffered greatly from vandalism and a devastating fire in August 2023 that devastated the building's roof structure. As walls peel away and opportunities for renovation are lost, the city is looking forward to plans to revitalize the building once known as the “Potsdam Kremlin.” The plan is to convert the area into a new university campus for up to 6,000 students. The entire site covers an impressive 40,000 square meters.
A look into the future
However, the millionaire's ambitions go beyond the renovation of the old state parliament. Plattner would like to structurally redesign the entire area so that the University of Potsdam campus can expand for the fourth time. Details of these forward-looking plans will soon be presented at a presentation at the University of Potsdam rbb24 reported. In this context, Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke will emphasize how important strengthening the scientific landscape is for the entire region.
The creation of a new campus will not only sharpen the training situation in Potsdam, but also promote the connection between science and business. As a result, the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) will also expand in order to create new spaces for innovative approaches. The extension will have around 3,000 square meters and 100 modern rooms that meet the highest architectural standards. The plans for this expansion are by Mark Braun Architects, and the design resembles a boomerang.
Background story of the Brauhausberg
The historic use of the Brauhausberg in recent decades has included an officers' school, the Reich Archives, an army archive and the headquarters of the SED in the GDR. However, the last few years have not been kind to this impressive building, which officially served as the seat of the Brandenburg state parliament until 2013. The trend towards neglect has turned the historic building into a ruin, which is now called upon to take on a new function.
As part of the project, the old tower will also be renovated, which will preserve the historical substance and at the same time set new accents. According to some reports, the final plans will be finalized in the coming months, while the Potsdam city council will discuss the necessary approvals in September. Construction could begin in as little as a year, although construction is estimated to take three years.
No matter how you twist or turn it: there is actually a lot going on at Potsdam's Brauhausberg at the moment. Potential for thriving higher education and exciting innovations are literally being lifted from the rubble here. Let's stay tuned to see what direction this multi-million dollar effort will take. Because one thing is certain: the beginning has been made!