Major expansion project: Melli Beese School secures the future for Johannisthal!

Major expansion project: Melli Beese School secures the future for Johannisthal!

On October 26, 2025, the foundation stone was laid for the expansion of the Melli Beese Elementary School in Berlin-Johannisthal. Representatives from politics, administration, school and planning were present at the celebratory event to celebrate this important step. The aim of the project is to ensure primary school provision in the district, as increasing student numbers require an expansion of the existing spatial capacities.

With the expansion, the Melli Beese Elementary School will become a 3.5-grade facility. This expansion is part of a multi-stage construction project that is scheduled to be completed by 2029. A temporary additional school building was built in the summer of 2023 and has been in use since the 2023/24 school year.

The next steps of the construction project

The second construction phase includes a four-story extension that will be built without a basement. The new building includes a cafeteria, a multi-purpose room and an elevator for barrier-free access to the rooms. Completion of this extension is scheduled for 2027.

In the third construction phase, comprehensive renovation measures are planned for the existing building, which will include fire protection and digital pact measures. The final steps of the project will be the redesign and qualification of the schoolyard areas. Important preparatory measures for construction, such as laying local heating pipes and dismantling supply lines, are scheduled for 2024.

Project participants and their roles

Various actors are involved in this comprehensive construction project. The recipient is the Treptow-Köpenick District Office, Department of Further Education, Schools, Culture and Sport. The project management and the client are also located at the district office, while the architecture and construction supervision is carried out by MHB Architekten + Ingenieure from Rostock. The technical building equipment is implemented by teamplan Ingenieure GmbH, Berlin, while the structural planning comes from K + P Ingenieure GmbH, Berlin. M² Planninggesellschaft mbH, Berlin, is responsible for the outdoor area planning.

The main goal of the overall measure is to strengthen the educational landscape in Johannisthal. In this context, it is also important to continually recruit new staff for the school. As the Melli Beese School announced, its commitment to recruiting is a key aspect of its future planning. Teachers and educators are being sought in order to continue to guarantee educational offerings. Interested parties can contact the school by phone or email ( melli-beese-schule.de ).

As the expansion of the Melli Beese primary school progresses, the demands on modern school architecture are also changing. According to the Montag Foundations, there is now increasing emphasis on high-quality and contemporary educational offerings in school buildings. High-performance school architecture is based on the interaction of pedagogy, architecture and planning. The foundations offer extensive suggestions and are active in many projects. Information about school construction projects, including documentaries and events, is available via their blog ( montag-stiftungen.de ).

Overall, Melli Beese Elementary School is facing an exciting time of change and expansion that will benefit not only education, but also the entire community.