Jena celebrates its topping-out ceremony: Zeiss is investing 500 million in the future!

Jena celebrates its topping-out ceremony: Zeiss is investing 500 million in the future!

A big celebration was celebrated in Jena on Wednesday: The topping-out ceremony for the new Carl Zeiss AG location marked another milestone in the construction process of a state-of-the-art high-tech center. With an investment of 500 million euros, which has been increased by 150 million euros, the impressive construction project will not only strengthen the Zeiss headquarters, but also enhance the entire Thuringia region. The new area covers around 118,000 square meters and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The location is currently designed for 2,000 employees, but future expansion cannot be ruled out. This information comes from an article from the Allgemeine Bauzeitung, which reported extensively on the topping-out ceremony.

The Nething architectural firm designed the building complex, which is laid out in terraces and has four finger-like wings. Architect Michael Keller explained that the shape was inspired by prisms and that a lot of glass and green spaces should be integrated into the design. “The project has national appeal,” as Jena’s Prime Minister Mario Voigt emphasized at the celebration. Together with Economics Minister Colette Boos-John, he was among the prominent guests at the topping-out ceremony that celebrated the completion of the shell construction phase.

Construction and challenges

The shell of the new Zeiss site involves the use of 100,000 cubic meters of concrete, creating a carbon footprint equivalent to the annual emissions of a small town. The technical implementation of the construction project is not without challenges: the floor slab in the production area is one and a half meters thick and rests on 1,800 concrete piles that reach up to 35 meters deep into the ground. The complexity of the construction work also requires the construction of clean rooms and special crane systems. The new building also promotes exchange between employees through well-thought-out path connections and visual connections.

Andreas Pecher, CEO of Carl Zeiss AG, emphasized in his remarks that the new building represents a clear commitment on our part to the place where we were founded. This will also strengthen the Thuringian economic area. The vision includes a seminar and conference center with a Zeiss hall that will accommodate up to 800 people.

Impact on the city

Dirk Lange, Jena's head of urban development and the environment, emphasized the important role of the project for the city. It is not just a construction project, but will also shape the Westbahnhof district and is partially open to the public. This development is part of the comprehensive urban development efforts in Thuringia, which are also documented on the Tattenbank website.

With this ambitious project, Jena is sending a strong signal towards the future and showing that urban development in Thuringia is on the right track. We can only hope that the upcoming completion steps go smoothly so that the new possibilities soon become reality.