CSL Behring recently celebrated a construction milestone at its Marburg, Germany, location where “the future will be made” in a new R&D building that is underway.
The company, its architect, engineers and construction staff paused for the “topping out,” which is when the highest beam has been placed in a structure. Watch the video above to hear from company officials and to see the raising of the wreath, a custom that dates back centuries, to applaud the progress.
You’ll also see a senior carpenter on the project give a traditional blessing, which includes breaking a glass for good luck. Why? There’s a German expression – “Scherben bringen Glück” – that means, roughly, “broken crockery/glass brings luck.”
Once complete in mid-2022, the research site will boast seven floors and almost 131,000 square feet (40,000 square meters) of space and be home to about 500 CSL Behring researchers – all working in state-of-the-art laboratories among potential sources for external collaboration and innovation. With a modern, open design, the new facility includes plenty of space for creativity and collaboration in support of entrepreneurial and innovative thinking.
Increasingly, Marburg – which is a short drive from Frankfurt – is becoming a hub for research.
"We have big plans and big ambitions for the building and for the site – as we want to be a center of innovation and collaboration, both regionally and globally, based in Marburg," said Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Head of R&D, Bill Mezzanotte.
