Cities do not follow any typical pattern – and certainly not the same one. Each city thrives on its unique character and – to be really honest – it has often worked hard to achieve this in the past.

 

So we do not use any standard solutions – or run-of-the-mill ones either. Perhaps none of our projects are standard features because we look for the special appeal of a site from the outset. Even when fascinated by a project idea that is often hidden, we finally find the solution to match all the parameters – the catchment area, neighbourhood, usage and budget. That is how centres are created – and individual districts too.

 

The name of a project illustrates how much the individual character of a district means to us. The Neue Mitte Fürth, Chinon Center Hofheim, Spinnerei Leipzig. We do not sell any standard concept. We make a name for ourselves by giving sites a new identity.

 

At the heart of Fürth, for example, the solution involved moving our thinking away from a classic shopping centre. The Neue Mitte Fürth is a true centre – with commercial properties in the pedestrian zone, which combine offices, shops and life.

 

A neighbourhood is also a centre. We have introduced an urban lifestyle in the typical Berlin neighbourhood near Turmstrasse. We focus on life with new kinds of mobility: we have developed “bike living lofts” for the tenants and their bicycles above the shops, which aim to provide essential supplies.

 

MIB has also developed property projects in Eastern German cities since the 1990s. Almost every Eastern German town has undergone an urban development process during the last few years; most of them faced the phenomenon of declining towns. This is a challenge, but involves opportunities for those who recognise them.

 

The Spinnerei Leipzig illustrates how an idea and patience can produce a success story. Artists from all over the world live and work in the former industrial complex – and sell their works at renowned galleries. International guests and collectors have been regularly coming to this site in the west of Leipzig for years. Living here brings benefits.