Futurium Receives BNB Gold Status and a Public Work of Art

Futurium is Germany’s Most Sustainable Federal Building

With its Gold status in the sustainability rating system for federal buildings (BNB) and its score of 89.8 per cent, Futurium is currently the most sustainable federal building in Germany. Today, Gunther Adler, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI), paid tribute to this fact by handing over the BNB Gold Certificate to the building owner, the Federal Institute for Real Estate (BImA).

From the outset, the economic, ecological and socio-cultural aspects of the new building were holistically planned and optimised. As a plus-energy building from the viewpoint of primary energy, the Futurium is a lighthouse project within the German sustainability landscape from an architectural and urban development perspective. From its opening in September 2019, visitors will have the opportunity to directly experience and understand the relevant topics of the future such as energy generation and storage. This is one of the reasons why Futurium was nominated for this year’s National German Sustainability Award in the category “Building”.

A Kinetic Sculpture for the House of Futures

The forecourt of Futurium has recently been adorned with a kinetic sculpture produced by realities:united and called “Drehmoment” (“Torque”). It measures approximately 4 x 15 metres and won the open percent-for-art competition in 2016. Today, in the presence of State Secretary Gunther Adler (BMI), State Secretary Dr Georg Schütte of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the building owner BImA, the artists Jan Edler and Tim Edler of realities:united and Futurium management, the public sculpture was officially inaugurated. “Drehmoment” consists of a rotating “plate” that keeps itself balanced merely by the dynamics and virtuosity of its rotating movement on a rod. The sculpture is characterised by a simultaneity of stability and instability that provokes a multitude of observations, questions and interpretations about our existence in the present and the future, explained Jan Edler of realities:united.

Comments on the Event

Gunther Adler, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community

“Futurium’s architects and engineers have successfully converted the programmatic orientation of this house of futures into a sustainable, futuristic building.”

Dr Georg Schütte, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as well as Chairman of the Futurium’s Supervisory Board

“As a building, Futurium already sets standards and enriches the Kapelle-Ufer on the River Spree in Berlin with its timeless architecture and the public sculpture on its forecourt. From autumn 2019, it will be an exhibition and event venue for discovering and discussing the future-related topics of tomorrow and beyond. I am very happy about that, because these are exactly the sort of topics and issues that we are working on right next door at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.”

Paul Johannes Fietz, Board Member of the Institute for Federal Real Estate

“We wanted to erect a building that would still be setting standards at the time of its completion, and we are proud to have accomplished this. We owe the fantastic result to everyone involved in the cooperative planning and purposeful implementation of Futurium.”

Dr Stefan Brandt, Director of Futurium

“The guiding principle of sustainability is of key importance for our work at Futurium. We are therefore very pleased that Futurium building sets a new standard when it comes to sustainable construction. May it be a source of inspiration for future construction projects, encouraging people to reach an even higher level through innovation!
The art installation “Drehmoment” is a symbol of the ever-evolving spiral of innovation. Sometimes you expect that the rapidly rotating “flying plate” must be about to fall off. Miraculously, however, it stays up there and performs its next turn. To dare to achieve the seemingly impossible and not to be afraid of it – that’s the essence of this work of art and, at the same time, an encouraging thought for our turbulent times.”

Nicole Schneider, Commercial Managing Director of Futurium

“A future without sustainability is inconceivable; Futurium – a venue dedicated to the future – without sustainability as a key element in its construction is equally inconceivable. I am delighted at how all those involved in the construction have taken this fact for granted and implemented it with the greatest commitment, always reaching for the highest level. Sustainability must become a quality taken for granted.”

Jan Edler, realities:united

“The sculpture “Drehmoment” can be conceived as an enhanced circus act turned into an object, as childlike playfulness. Or, looking at it another way, as the performance of a trick, in which dynamic action replaces the usual static construction of the artwork. In it you’ll find some of the things we hope, or fear, to see in the future. Fascinating, tricky and efficient, but also somewhat inexplicable, restless and risky. The dynamic is more than a modern replacement for the old static. It turns what was previously a dead fact – perhaps the result of a past creative process – into something that is recreated over and over again, behind which stands a present, immaterial power, a programme, an intention, or possibly a ‘spirit’, all of which may be as important as the ruling laws of nature. You can see that here, too: the machine does not always work to lift the plate into the air, but suddenly comes to a halt every now and again, or runs idle for hours at a slow speed. The reasons remain a mystery.”

Facts and Figures Regarding BNB Certification

• Architecture: Richter Musikowski, Berlin
• Building owner: Federal Institute for Real Estate (BImA)
• User: Futurium gGmbH, Berlin
• Energy/Sustainability: WSGreenTechnologies GmbH (Werner Sobek Group), Stuttgart
• Landscape architecture: JUCA, Berlin
• Coordinating general contractor: BAM Germany AG, Stuttgart
• Planning period: 2013–2015
• Execution period: 2015–2017

Facts and Figures Regarding “Drehmoment”

• Dimensions: approximately 15m in height; diameter of 4.30m
• Material: steel
• Artistic and technical concept, design, planning: realities:united, Studio for Art and Architecture
• Technical realisation: Max Streicher GmbH & Co. KG aA