Is this Europe's Greenest City?

Germany unveils world’s first public building that generates more energy than it consumes

The first phase of a new town hall in the German city of Freiburg debuted late last year and has been crowned the world’s first public building built to the net-surplus energy standard. The building hosts an administration center and day nursery and accommodates the 840 employees of the City Administration under one roof after they had previously been spread over 16 different sites throughout the city.

The new administration center which is part of the town hall extension for the city of Freiburg, also home to one of Germany’s oldest universities and a Gothic sandstone cathedral, is a hub for academics and medieval history buffs, as well as one of Europe’s greenest cities. Designed by ingenhoven architects, the building embodies the principles of openness and transparency and incorporates a “green campus” concept, in which three building tracts and a day nursery are combined.

The ensemble of the new town hall buildings is integrated in the green space between Eschholz Park and the University Hospital—the linking effect is reinforced by vistas and a public pathway network. By increasing the public space at Fehrenbachallee, space has been opened up for a new address, thereby creating an attractive public city square. The main entrance to the new building is situated opposite the existing building and the second construction phase will create additional oval buildings providing workplaces for the City’s administration.