Space for 500 people – At Unite, we seek strong partners, and the real estate firm OFB Projektentwicklung GmbH was brought on board to realise a seven-story new building for us in Leipzig’s city centre. What began as a project for Mercateo became the Unite project after our rebranding in early 2022. The headquarters comprises 14,800 square meters, tailored precisely to our needs and for flexible everyday use. This new building aims for a gold certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). The headquarters were designed and planned by KLM Architects, Leipzig.
This is a robust indicator of the thriving IT sector in Leipzig.
The Unite headquarters in numbers
With over 700 employees, over 20 years of experience, and offices in 12 European countries, we now have a home base with the new Unite headquarters in Leipzig’s city centre. Here are some more facts and figures.
Workstations
Whether it’s a desk in an open-plan area for collaboration with colleagues or a focused workspace, the flexible space usage concept offers the most suitable workplace depending on the task. Each employee decides where this is for themselves. Desks and rooms can be booked (flexibly) daily via a booking tool.
Square meters of office space
Here, there is not only room for desks, but above all for interaction: modernly equipped meeting rooms, coffee counters, table tennis tables, workshop areas for the Unite Academy, and of course, a spacious lounge area with an in-house canteen, which can also be used for events. In line with the networking concept, a portion of the office space is also available to other companies as a co-working space.
Window units
Intelligent building technology helps us optimise energy consumption. This includes basic lighting with daylight control and motion sensors, as well as sensor-based shading systems that regulate sunlight and heat in the building.
Bicycle parking spaces
With a spacious bicycle cellar (including showers) and excellent public transport connections, we also implement the mobility theme sustainably among our workforces. Through the subsidised job ticket for Leipzig, we motivate colleagues to leave their cars for their commute to work.
Discarded Furniture
Our previous office spaces in the Leipzig Timonhaus and the Städtisches Kaufhaus no longer provided sufficient space. However, the furnishings, including height-adjustable desks and ergonomic chairs, were in excellent condition. Therefore, we packed everything into a moving truck and brought it to the new building. Here, the furniture seamlessly integrated into the spatial concept, so there was no need to discard anything.
Milestones in the construction journey
From the relocation to the move into the new Unite headquarters, it has been an exciting journey, albeit one fraught with challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But together, we succeeded and remained true to our motto: Just do it, dare to!
Opening ceremony
Unite officially opened its corporate headquarters on 29 February 2024, with a ceremony held in Leipzig, Germany. Unite’s employees and the Executive Board, celebrated the grand opening with the Lord Mayor of Leipzig, Burkhard Jung and esteemed guests from the company’s business community.
We moved in!
In July, it was time: moving trucks arrived, and we could relocate to the new headquarters at Johannisplatz. This milestone was celebrated at the summer party with over 500 Unitees from 40 nations.
Topping-out ceremony
The shell construction of our new headquarters was completed in May 2022. This milestone was celebrated with Leipzig’s Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung, OFB, and trade organisations.
Mercateo becomes Unite
The Mercateo Group consolidates its two businesses – the Mercateo B2B marketplace and the Unite network – under one Unite brand.
Construction begins
The first excavators roll onto the construction site, initially digging two floors deep before rising seven stories.
2020 Building application and approval
In July, real estate developer OFB submitted the building application for our headquarters to the city of Leipzig and received approval on November 11, 2020. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and widespread remote work, we remain committed to the construction project.
Relocation of HQ and construction Project
At the end of 2019, we were awarded the contract for a joint construction project with the OFB. In the heart of the city of Leipzig, a new corporate headquarters is set to be built. As a result, the headquarters will be relocated from Munich to Leipzig.
We collaboratively build spaces for creativity and innovation - diverse and inspiring. The Unite team can genuinely anticipate this fresh working environment!
Gallery: Inauguration, insights and outlooks
© Unite | photographers: Eric Kemnitz, Andrea Fleischer & Dominic Lindner
We deliberately chose a property in the heart of Leipzig to open ourselves up to the city. Leipzig aligns perfectly with our company values.