Four-star hotel in Berlin by schneider+schumacher

The Spanish chain Sol-Melia plans to build a new hotel on Berlin's Alexanderplatz, which will replace the East German Ministry of Health building. The thirteen-story ministry has stood empty for many years, and its demolition is scheduled to begin soon. The authors of the four-star hotel with 421 rooms are Frankfurt architects schneider+schumacher. Construction work on the 60 million Euro hotel is set to begin in early summer 2007, with completion expected in 2009. The hotel project has been ongoing for over two years due to necessary adjustments to the subway tunnel and unclear relations with the previous landowner. Only at the end of last year did a representative of the heirs agree on compensation for the land, allowing construction to commence. The new hotel will be the same height as the existing ministry.
An eight-story podium will be built in front of the building. Link>