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Press Release19 September 2012Siemens AGLondon, UK
Siemens opens urban development center – the Crystal – in London
After a construction phase of about a year and a half, the Crystal brings an architectural highlight and one of the world's greenest buildings to the British capital. Siemens invested some €35 million in the project. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the building features a 270-seat auditorium as well as the world's largest exhibition on urban sustainability. Boasting an area of 2,000 square meters, the exhibition presents existing infrastructure solutions that make life in cities more sustainable and environmentally friendly while enhancing its quality. At the Crystal, experts from the Siemens Center of Competence Cities engage in research and development geared to technologies and innovations for tomorrow's urban infrastructures. In addition, the Infrastructure & Cities Sector will coordinate its City Account Managers from the Crystal.
"Cities worldwide are making investments to improve their water supplies, power grids, transportation systems and building infrastructures. Our addressable market alone has a volume of €300 billion. In this growth market, the Crystal will help us intensify dialogue with our customers. The Crystal is our Sector's showcase, contact point and mastermind," noted Roland Busch, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of the Infrastructure & Cities Sector. With roughly 87,000 employees, the Sector provides sustainable technologies for urban areas and their infrastructures.
Following its inauguration, the Crystal will serve as the venue for two conferences. On September 20, the UN Habitat program will bring together municipal decision-makers and city planners at a conference entitled Urban Planning for City Leaders. On September 21, participants at the future-oriented Digital Life Design Cities conference, sponsored by Hubert Burda Media, will address questions relating to sustainable urban development and visions for smart cities.
Encompassing an area of more than 6,300 square meters, the Crystal is a paragon of energy efficiency. The facility consumes 50 percent less power and emits 65 percent less carbon dioxide than comparable office buildings. Renewable energy sources meet the Crystal's heating and cooling needs, a photovoltaic system generates green electricity, and rainwater is harvested for use. On the BREEAM and LEED international assessments for energy-efficient buildings, the Crystal will receive top scores (Outstanding and Platinum, respectively) – making it one of the greenest facilities in the world.
- Covering 2,000 square meters, the interactive exhibition will guide visitors through the urban infrastructure of the future, focusing on possibilities for sustainable mobility, building technologies, power and water supplies, and healthcare.
- The conference center is an independent forum for engineers, architects, city planners and municipal decision-makers.
- The Crystal is home to the first and largest of three Centers of Competence Cities. The Center in London offers Siemens experts and external professionals a platform for conducting research and exchanging ideas. The two smaller centers are slated to be built in Shanghai and Washington in the coming years.
The Crystal is located in the Borough of Newham, at the historic Royal Victoria Docks. The facility will be open to the public on September 29.
Further information and photos are available online at: www.siemens.com/press/thecrystal
For this press release
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the fields of industry, energy and healthcare as well as providing infrastructure solutions, primarily for cities and metropolitan areas. For over 160 years, Siemens has stood for technological excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality. The company is the world's largest provider of environmental technologies. Around 40 percent of its total revenue stems from green products and solutions. In fiscal 2011, which ended on September 30, 2011, revenue from continuing operations totaled €73.5 billion and income from continuing operations €7.0 billion. At the end of September 2011, Siemens had around 360,000 employees worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at: http://www.siemens.com.
Contact
Alexander Becker
Siemens AG
Wittelsbacherplatz 2
80333 Munich
Germany
80333 Munich
Germany
+49 (89) 636-36558