On May 11 of this year, the developer of the project “Mūkusalas Biznesa Centrs” and the construction company “VELVE” signed an agreement on the construction of the new Class A office building “Zeiss Biroji”. The new building will be located in the territory of Mūkusala Business Centre, Riga, Dēļu Street 2. The project is planned to be completed by spring 2023.

The new Class A office building will be built on the site of the former Karl Zeiss optics factory, renovating the historic building and adding new and modern architectural elements. The project, according to the project developers, will combine the historical aura of this place with modern construction solutions and the latest technologies. One of the main advantages of the building is its strategically advantageous location - at the corner of Mūkusalas Street and Dēļu Street, with a view of the river Daugava and the towers of the Old Town. In addition, the territory of the business centre will be supplemented with a new multi-storey car park, which will provide more green areas for pedestrians and convenience for motorists.

“”Zeiss Biroji” is a long-planned project for the expansion of Mūkusala Business Centre. By renovating the historic Karl Zeiss factory building, which has inspired by its more than 100-year history, it will turn into a comfortable and modern office building that will not only incorporate the latest technical and energy efficiency solutions, but also embody the best workplace designs and amenities, which will be especially appreciated by the new users of the building. We have proved that local capital companies can also create and manage important real estate projects that have served and will continue to serve as a place for the growth and new ideas for decades to come for various expanding businesses, thus making this area an active centre on the map of Riga, ”says Mūkusala Business Centre co-owner Klāvs Vasks.

"We have grown and developed together with our customers through various economic times for twenty years. The Covid-19 pandemic, I think, has taught us that the ability to adapt is what drives companies through any crisis. I think that many employees want to return to work in their offices, that not only respect the individual work habits of everyone, but allows to separate the home from the work that is done in premises suitable for it. Working in Zeiss offices will definitely ensure the well-being, loyalty, and growth of our tenants' employees in the companies whose tenants will work in the new offices,” says Iveta Bahmane, Chairman of the Board of Mūkusala Business Centre.

The signed contract envisages the construction of a 5,600 square meter office building, which will be certified in accordance with the requirements of the BREEAM Excellent sustainability certificate, and the project will include Class A energy efficient air cooling, ventilation and heating systems and sustainable and environmentally friendly finishing materials, as well as user-friendly solutions, from lighting and hinged windows to an ergonomic work environment. It is also planned to create a conference centre for up to 80 people in the office building. It is estimated that the total construction costs of the project will amount to 9 million euros.

“The construction of the new office building will not only be interesting, but also challenging in a way, because the building will be constructed in an already existing office building quarter, where there is intensive traffic and which is located next to a busy city street - Mūkusalas Street. The construction site is also surrounded by adjacent buildings and intensively used access roads, in places literally reaching up to the facade itself. Working in such conditions will require particularly careful planning of material procurement and technical work to be performed. In addition, the construction of the building will have to take into account the operation of the surrounding offices and provide them with easy access for visitors and staff. However, we have gained a lot of experience working on similar types of projects, so we will be able to implement this project as planned,” says Kaspars Rokens, Chairman of the Board of Velve.

The total office area of Mūkusala Business Centre after the project implementation will exceed 35,000 square meters. Companies such as "Tele2", "Bolt", "Delfi", "Cognizant", "Civinity" and others are located in the territory. The largest solar power plant in Riga, which produces green energy for the tenants of the business centre, is also located on the roofs of the Mūkusala Business Centre buildings.