C1 Berlin: World’s first “business hotel” smart building at Alexanderplatz

Initial situation: The vision of a new office world

C1 Central One Midtown Offices GmbH, an innovative real estate company in Berlin, was faced with an extraordinary challenge: to create a completely new concept for commercial real estate that would revolutionize traditional office letting. The world’s first “business hotel” smart building was to be built at the prestigious Alexanderplatz location, right next to the TV tower.

The vision was ambitious: Companies of all sizes should have access to first-class presentation rooms, conference halls and fitness areas without having to invest millions of euros of their own. Start-ups should be able to use premium facilities on an equal footing with established consulting firms such as Simon Kucher & Partners or international organizations such as the European Patent Office.

The planning required a solution that was not only technically innovative, but also enabled a fundamentally new business model for commercial real estate. The aim was to combine collaboration and individual security while ensuring maximum user-friendliness.

Partnership and concept: FORTÉ as a driver of innovation

C1 Berlin chose FORTÉ Germany GmbH as its strategic partner for this pioneering vision. FORTÉ’ s expertise in smart building integration and experience with complex IoT projects made it the ideal choice for this pioneering project. From the very beginning, FORTÉ was involved in the conception phase to create the technical foundations for the revolutionary “Business Hotel” concept.

A comprehensive requirements analysis was carried out together with the C1 planning teams. The focus was not only on the technical challenges, but also on the development of completely new workflows for cross-tenant collaboration. This intensive planning phase was crucial in order to create the basis for a system that had never existed before.

The challenge lay in the coordinated integration during the construction phase, as continuous architectural adjustments and new ideas from the client required a flexible approach. FORTÉ had to coordinate with numerous trades – from structural engineers to electricians and interior designers.

Technical revolution: IoT platform for cross-tenant collaboration

With a clear understanding of the visionary requirements, FORTÉ developed a ground-breaking solution around the Thing-it IoT platform. This platform formed the centerpiece for the world’s first cross-tenant smart building integration, enabling different tenants to share premium spaces securely and flexibly.

The system integrates 110″ professional displays with Microsoft Teams capabilities, high-quality Teufel Cinema sound systems for presentations and Yealink collaboration technology. The universal building app is particularly innovative, seamlessly combining all functions – from booking the main conference room to accessing smart lockers and parking spaces.

Thanks to the modular IoT approach, new tenants can immediately use all building functions regardless of their room layout. The platform automatically adapts to changing tenant layouts and ensures maximum network security with the greatest possible openness for collaboration.

Results and impact: A new era for office buildings

The implementation of the revolutionary smart building solution has made the vision of the “business hotel” a complete reality. Companies such as the European Patent Office, Simon Kucher & Partners and numerous innovative start-ups now use seamlessly shared premium facilities that were previously reserved for large corporations.

The user-friendly IoT platform completely eliminates technical barriers – end users can operate complex conference technology in the presentation theater and main conference room without any prior technical knowledge. The system automatically configures itself based on usage requirements, while cross-tenant security remains guaranteed at all times.

The solution has not only exceeded C1’s expectations, but has also established a completely new business model for commercial real estate. The project demonstrates how smart building technology can transform traditional real estate concepts and create sustainable added value for all stakeholders.