The construction of the 32-storey Zoofenster -Zoo Window- skyscraper for the Waldorf Astoria luxury hotel, which began in March 2009, is practically finished. The building stands in front of the Zoo station, in one of the prime areas of the city, and it will be the tallest building in western Berlin.

The property is being developed by the Hilton Hotels group for its Waldorf Astoria brand, through a management agreement with the Primrose Capital Ltd. group of the United Kingdom. The skyscraper is being built by a consortium partnering ALPINE Bau Deutschland AG with BSS Beton System-Schalungsbau GMBH and led by ALPINE. The owners have called in BIC Ingenieur Consulting of Berlin to handle project management and architectural supervision on the site.

This big building has been growing at the rate of a storey a week. Good logistics have been fundamental in keeping up the fast pace, since the process of supplying materials and equipment has been heavily constrained by the limited space available and especially by the necessary measures taken to protect passers-by and vehicles.

ALPINE, FCC's Austrian subsidiary, has assumed responsibility for building and planning the installation of the heating, hot sanitary water and cooling systems.

The hotel will have 232 rooms and suites and will boast a luxurious wellness area on the fifth floor, with access to a sixth-floor terrace that will revel in an exclusive view of the western side of the city.

Designed by Frankfurt-born architect Christoph Mäckler, the hotel is a beautiful building made of light-coloured stone and glass. The first two storeys of the building contain two large halls holding 400 people, with the rest of the space devoted to retail and hospitality.

The hotel will occupy up to the 15th floor, and between the 16th and 21st floor 7,000 square metres of office space will be made available to let, with modern lifts providing dedicated access from the underground car park. The upper floors (from 22 up) will be apartments.