Second ‘Market of the Future’ Supermarket by acme Opens in Berlin
Berlin, July 17 – The second ‘Market of the Future’ supermarket, designed by London-based acme architects, has opened in southern Berlin. This modular timber construction, a concept developed for the Rewe supermarket chain, features a rooftop greenhouse and emphasizes reusability. This follows the successful prototype launched five years ago in Wiesbaden.
A Sustainable Building Concept
The Rewe supermarket chain had previously announced its intention to construct all new buildings based on this “circular” principle of stacked timber. The Berlin branch marks a significant step in this direction. While acme architects remained involved in the design and implementation, CS Architekten from Berlin served as the execution architects, and Schöne Neue Welt Ingenieure, also from Berlin, handled the structural engineering.
The core design remains largely unchanged. The striking cantilevered pillars, resembling a Jenga stack of simple timber beams, form the roof structure over an area of approximately 58 by 66 meters, supported by 72 pillars. Crucially, the timber elements are screwed, not glued, to ensure future reusability. The resulting open hall boasts a height of over six meters.
Friedrich Ludewig of acme highlighted that the entire project is a learning process. The “second generation” of the structural framework, above the ground floor, is now entirely made of timber, including the integrated boxes for storage and delivery, which in the Wiesbaden prototype were still constructed from reinforced concrete.
Rooftop Greenhouse for Local Produce
Similar to the Wiesbaden location, the Berlin supermarket features a large rooftop greenhouse. However, unlike Wiesbaden, which included a fish farm, the Berlin greenhouse focuses solely on growing lettuce. The supermarket proudly promotes its “Lankwitzer Pflücksalat,” which travels fresh from the roof to the shelves after just 23 days. Available varieties include head lettuce, romaine lettuce, Lollo Rosso, and dark green Easy Leaf. ECF Farmsystems, a Berlin-based company, is the cooperation partner for the rooftop greenhouse. The supermarket anticipates an annual harvest of up to 900,000 lettuce plants.
Future Expansion and “Market Hall for the 21st Century”
When asked about the future of this building concept, company spokeswoman Stephanie Behrens stated that further projects are already in the planning stages for Berlin, Lower Saxony, and Bavaria. However, due to ongoing approval procedures, no specific details could be disclosed at this time. All parties involved at the Berlin opening expressed confidence that visitors were entering a “market hall for the 21st century.”
The project’s completion is slated for 2026. The general contractor is Dreßler Bau. Other key contributors include PSM Planungsgesellschaft für Gebäudetechnik for technical building equipment, Natur + Text for species protection, and Ingenieurbüro für Tiefbau Noack for traffic planning and outdoor facilities. The client is the Rewe Group, and the total floor area is 3,265 square meters.
Source: https://www.baunetz.de/meldungen/Meldungen-acme_in_Berlin_nbsp__10356955.html
