WOLFF Trio builds Gloria Berlin in Germany

The three WOLFF cranes were in operation on the 25.000 m2 large site at Kurfürstendamm 12-15 throughout one year.

The German capital of Berlin is continuously changing, with urban developers speaking of a "Berlin boom" since the 1990s. The Kurfürstendamm – Berlins oldest and most renowned high street – is now also undergoing renewal. The Gloria Berlin is a new office and shopping complex linking historic mid-19th-century buildings to contemporary moder-nity. Contractor Mark A. Krüger Bauunternehmung GmbH used three WOLFF cranes for the construction of the three-part build-ing ensemble. 

The three WOLFF cranes were in operation on the 25.000 m2 large site at Kurfürstendamm 12-15 throughout one year. Structural work, consisting of two underground and six floors above ground as well as a technical level, was completed in April this year. 

The site's location on Berlin's world-famous shopping boulevard was a challenge for the project team right from the start. "Since a complete closure of the Ku' damm is virtually unthinkable and an adjacent subway line made it impossible to position a mobile crane outside of the construction pit, Wolffkran was asked to come up with a creative solution for the crane assembly," says Site Manager Mathias Lippski from Mark-A. Krüger Bauunternehmung GmbH. 

The WOLFF trio, consisting of two flat-top WOLFF cranes 5020.8 clear and 6015.8 clear and a WOLFF 180 B luffing jib crane, was assembled with a 300-tonne mobile crane standing in the construction pit itself. To erect the centrally positioned luffing jib crane, the pit had to be reinforced with foundations to absorb the 80-tonne corner loads of the mobile crane. All cranes were erected on foundation anchors to their final freestanding tower heights of 51 and 56 meters, respectively. "The confined space of the city construction site required particular precision in positioning the three WOLFF cranes," says Mathias Lippski. Fixed elements in the construction pit and the layout for escalators and elevators, further limited the available space.

"The WOLFF 180 B is the ideal choice for the special requirements of the construction site. It was configured to cover almost the entire construction site, while at the same time accommodating the massive restriction of the slewing radius due to the adjacent Upper West high-rise building," says Michael Sauer from the Wolffkran subsidiary in Berlin. 

Fitted with a 45-meter jib and offering a maximum load capacity of 12 tonnes, the WOLFF 180 B proved to be a real allrounder, mastering both heavy lifts and concreting work across most of the job site. It was supported by the two WOLFF-clear cranes fitted relatively short jibs of 25 and 35 meters, that were used to handle concrete and reinforcing steel for the two narrow side wings of the elongated building. In the meantime, the clear cranes have been disassembled by the luffer. Aside from being a very economical dismantling concept in general, this procedure was a necessity at the Gloria Berlin, as there was simply no longer any space on the site for a mobile crane. The 180 B will remain on site until July to lift heavy equipment into the building's technical service facility. 

In choosing Wolffkran, the contractor opted for a long-term partner for its project on Berlin's principal shopping street. "Wolffkran was at our side in an advising role as early as the tendering phase, and we felt very well taken care of from the very outset. Of course, the trusting cooperation and successful implementation of previous projects with comparably high demands regarding crane assembly and dismantling was also a decisive factor", Mathias Lippski explains the choice. Wolffkran has realized numerous projects in Germany’s capital on behalf of the Berlin based contractor, including projects at the Salzufer and the Alexanderplatz. 

The "Gloria Berlin" is scheduled to open its doors at the beginning of 2021, enriching the western part of the city with an architectural eye-catcher. It will combine natural stone facades, historically used in buildings along the Kurfürstendamm, with modern floor-to-ceiling window fronts. The building complex will also include a listed Wilhelminian style house from 1889, restored to its original state.