A milestone for the Charité's modern German Heart Centre: On 25 April 2024, the groundbreaking ceremony marked an important step in the extensive new building project on the Virchow Clinic Campus. The ceremony was attended by the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, Bettina Stark-Watzinger (Federal Minister for Education and Research), Dr Ina Czyborra (Senator for Science, Health and Care) and numerous representatives of the Charité and the DHZC.
It will be one of the most modern and largest heart centres in Europe: a total of 17 floors and 30,000 square metres of floor space will accommodate around 320 patient beds as well as 20 operating theatres, hybrid operating theatres and cardiac catheter laboratories: An important project for the entire campus, which will also house the central emergency department and the sterile supply centre of the Virchow Clinic.
Parallel to this highly complex planning process, the Charité and the German Heart Centre Berlin merged to form the DHZC (German Heart Centre of the Charité). In future, all cardiological expertise will be concentrated here - a true flagship project in cardiac medicine, combining general care, intensive care and a children's clinic for congenital heart defects. Dresden-based architects wörner traxler richter were commissioned to design the new DHZC in line with the philosophy of 'healing architecture'. This has a positive effect on the recovery of patients and the well-being of staff: Among other things, a roof garden with an outdoor gym for staff and a cardio course for patients will be built.
We at Drees & Sommer are delighted to continue supporting this fantastic project with the construction project management team and look forward to the next milestones following the successful groundbreaking ceremony.