The Canada House is one of the first realized PPP projects (Public Private Partnership) in Germany. In this project, the Canadian government is the tenant, while Hannover Leasing acts as the private financial investor. Thus, the Canada House uniquely combines public and private engagement.

Our task was to optimize the planning of the Canadian embassy based on the design by the Canadian architectural team. Specifically, we focused on improving internal processes, reducing construction costs while maintaining quality, and increasing the leasable area by one third. Consequently, we planned the building in detail from preliminary design to execution planning and took on the artistic site supervision during construction.

Located at Leipziger Platz in central Berlin, the Canada House serves as a cultural bridge between Canada and Germany. Large-format windows and the striking Canadian Tyndall limestone from Manitoba make the building stand out as especially inviting among new constructions. Moreover, the embassy’s reception area at Leipziger Platz is characterized by a water garden featuring a one-and-a-half-story-high waterfall. This waterfall cascades over a granite wall and continues deep into the building interior.

The composition of building volumes – the cylindrical Timberhall with the Canada Lounge on the ground floor, the conference hall above, and the double-story auditorium – connects the foyer with the public passage. This passage, in turn, links Leipziger Platz with Ebertstraße. Here, rental spaces for Canadian companies are located, which together with the embassy represent a piece of Canada in Berlin.

Finally, leasable office spaces and apartments on the upper floors are accessed from Ebertstraße. With views toward the Brandenburg Gate and Leipziger Platz, they offer a special panorama.

Client: Hannover Leasing GmbH
Architect: KGS Joint Venture Architects, Toronto with Pysall Ruge von Matt Architekten
Photos: Kanadische Botschaft Berlin, Matthias Matschewski