The prestigious Upper West project in Berlin

Since June 2014, a particularly prestigious project has been underway at Breitscheidplatz not far from the Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church) in the form of the Upper West high-rise. Its extravagant contours are already punctuating the cityscape like a brash, architectural exclamation mark. And product systems from MC are very much part of the picture.
Berlin’s new skyline is not only rising up in the east at Alexanderplatz, but also in the west around the Ku’damm – Berlin’s premier shopping boulevard. Since June 2014, a particularly prestigious project has been underway at Breitscheidplatz not far from the Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church) in the form of the Upper West high-rise. Its extravagant contours are already punctuating the cityscape like a brash, architectural exclamation mark. And product systems from MC are very much part of the picture.
Following its completion at the beginning of 2017, the Upper West will count among the highest buildings in Berlin: measuring an impressive 118 metres, the gently curvaceous tower boasting a total of 53,000 square metres will comprise a hotel with around 580 rooms, several storeys of offices, and a sky bar with a view spanning Berlin in its entirety.
Strong foundation

Such a high-rise project not only needs solid foundations but also a high-capacity support structure. The Upper West is therefore being erected with columns of high-strength concrete (C80/95) supplied from the ready-mix plant of CEMEX Deutschland AG. Aside from offering high compressive strength, the concrete must also feature long-lasting flowability and – due to the distances involved from plant to site – long consistency retention.

The superplasticiser MC-PowerFlow 3104 produced the best values in the CEMEX Deutschland laboratory tests and was used right from the start. The plasticiser, manufactured in-company according to a patented process and based on MC’s latest polycarboxilate ether technology, ensures long-lasting flowability combined with economic dosage levels. Over the entire consistency range, it also ensures that the concrete remains stable with good cohesion and minimal stickiness. This greatly facilitates and accelerates placement. Thus, high-quality fair-faced concrete surfaces can also be achieved with MC-PowerFlow 3104.
A reliable finish

MC release agents from the Ortolan product range were also selected. Apart from the proven release agent Ortolan Classic 711, the planning contractor Ed. Züblin AG also opted for Ortolan Classic 731. This is used for special steel formwork in which conventional release agents give rise to excessively thick coatings and therefore tend to produce poor results. Ortolan Classic 731, on the other hand, can be particularly thinly applied and exhibits outstanding separation properties so that concrete surfaces of high fair-faced quality can be achieved.
Finally, the contractors also selected a curing agent from MC in the form of Emcoril. This ensures effective evaporation protection, thus improving strength development in the concrete layers close to the surface and preventing shrinkage cracks. Emcoril protects the fresh concrete from extreme exposure to the sun and air draught.
Last but not least, a range of MC products from its concrete cosmetics portfolio in the form of the polymer-modified coarse filler Emcefix Spachtel G, the fine filler Emcefix Spachtel F – which comes in seven light-resistant colours – and numerous other products besides are being used throughout the build. MC products are therefore helping to ensure that the rooftop vista that Berlin provides can be admired not just from the east of the capital but also from the “New West”.