German Intelligence Headquarters

Soon to be one of Berlin’s largest construction sites, this top secret location is surrounded by a high wooden privacy fence, topped out every few meters by hardened security cameras peering in every direction. Even snapping a few pictures of the site will make you jumpy, soon suspicious of every black van that drives past and eyeballing each little old lady walking her dog – wait, is that a microphone hidden beneath that ill fitting wig?

Located on the one time site of the DDR’s Stadium of World Youth, the BND’s new digs is expected to cost €720 million, and, when finished in 2012, provide office space for over 4,000 intelligence agents. Architects Kleihues + Kleihues designed the 250,000qm office complex to sit well back from the street, providing a consistent 30 meter high facade across the different wings of the complex, with only minimal variations in materials and detailing, the entire building fronted on Chausseestraße by a tree lined open space behind a security perimeter.

Just don’t get any bright ideas about hopping the fence to do some grilling on the lawn!