Metropolis – sustainability as a long-term goal

The Metropolis in Hamburg combines innovative technologies with sustainable management and cultural heritage.

A monument to the art of film and modern working in the heart of Hamburg

The Metropolis is located in Hamburg’s Neustadt district not far from the Gänsemarkt, between the Inner Alster lake, Planten un Blomen park and Hamburg City Hall. The nearby Dammtor railway station and the adjacent underground station mean that the building is located at one of the city’s key public transport hubs.

During the day, the district is alive with business. The wide range of shops and dining options in the immediate vicinity ensures that the area is a lively neighbourhood every day of the week. In the evening, the crowd changes to theatregoers and culture-loving locals and tourists. The building’s direct neighbour, the Hamburg State Opera, attracts numerous visitors to the area surrounding the Metropolis. 

The Metropolis building itself also makes an active cultural contribution to the district with its office space of around 13,700 sqm spread over seven storeys. In addition to office use, it also houses the Metropolis cinema that gives the building its name.

The listed cinema auditorium from the 1950s has been an integral part of Hamburg’s film scene as a community cinema since 1979. Today, it is run by the independent association Kinemathek Hamburg e. V.

From the start of planning in 2007 to completion in 2011, the construction and project team were faced with challenges during the renovation. All aspects of a modern, flexible commercial building had to be taken into account and, at the same time, various aspects of heritage preservation had to be considered for the cinema auditorium when refurbishing the interior.

 

In addition to offering modern office space, the Metropolis is home to a listed cinema auditorium, actively enriching Hamburg’s cultural scene. We use regular certification and smart digital solutions to optimise the use of resources in order to ensure that our users always have access to state-of-the-art operations.

Kai Schreier Technical Asset Manager


Sustainability as a long-term goal

The team has consistently pursued sustainability goals since the planning stage in 2007. The Metropolis office and commercial building in Hamburg was planned and built at a time when the trend towards sustainable construction was gaining momentum in Germany. The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) was founded in 2007 with the aim of “promoting sustainable building” and two years later, in 2009, the first DGNB certificates for sustainably built office and administrative buildings were awarded. The Metropolis construction and project team also took note of these developments and incorporated the new standard on the market at that time into the project. 

  • The property was even awarded the bronze DGNB newbuild certificate during the construction phase already.
  • On completion in 2021, the building was certified in accordance with the System for Buildings in Use (GiB) and achieved the DGNB “Gold” certification level.

The System for Buildings in Use (GiB) of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) is based on the classic three-pillar model of sustainability and evaluates aspects of environmental, economic and social quality. The evaluated content must be reviewed in a three-year cycle to ensure that it is up to date and the certification result is updated.

  • During re-certification in 2024, the level was raised once again to “Platinum”.

Environmental, economic and social aspects: Results of the DGNB platinum certification.

This development shows how continuous improvements in operations can lead to sustainable success. 
This was essentially achieved by expanding the risk management processes and further improving the operational processes in and around the property.

As in other Deka Immobilien buildings, the MeteoViva Climate system is used in the Metropolis.
This technology uses smart data to precisely control energy and resource consumption and helps to reduce operating costs: 

  • In 2023, the consumption of electricity and heat was reduced by 41 percent compared with 2017.

  • This is equivalent to a CO2 saving of around 139 tonnes.

Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals:

11 Sustainable cities and communities

The central location, the cinema as a cultural element and the active public use of the ground floor contribute to this SDG.

13 Climate action 

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the use of MeteoViva smart data technology.