(30 September 2026). VIVIT Group, an investment and real estate manager and portfolio developer specialising in office, residential and commercial properties, has signed a long-term green lease with the University of Duisburg-Essen covering the entire lettable area of its PARKSIDE redevelopment in Essen. The leased space totals around 2,200 m², which the university will occupy in stages from 2027. The letting was brokered by real estate service provider Brockhoff GmbH.
PARKSIDE offers a total of around 2,200 m² of lettable space across four floors in Essen’s Westviertel district. Built in 1955, the property was originally part of Krupp’s industrial and factory halls. For many years it housed the headquarters of a turbine manufacturer belonging to the AEG group. VIVIT Group acquired the building in a joint venture and repositioned it on the market with a sustainable, market- and user-oriented concept. A resource-efficient, low-barrier conversion is creating modern office space in an urban-industrial style.
With the University of Duisburg-Essen moving in, PARKSIDE will in future be used as a single-tenant property and, through its planned uses as a psychological outpatient clinic and teaching facility, will take on a versatile character. The university’s varied requirements in particular highlight the building’s exceptional flexibility: the space concept accommodates a wide range of working, teaching and meeting formats – from open spaces and traditional offices to communication and lounge areas.
“With PARKSIDE, we have carefully developed an existing property with an industrial history while giving it new relevance in an urban context. What mattered most to us was creating a place that can be used flexibly, preserves its identity and adds real value for people and the neighbourhood,” says Benedict Meckenstock, Real Estate Manager at VIVIT, adding: “The fact that the University of Duisburg-Essen will use this location for teaching and psychological care underlines our aim not just to let properties, but to create spaces that add social and urban value for their users.”
Britta Mauritz, Dipl.-Ing., architect in the Building Management Department of the University of Duisburg-Essen, explains: “PARKSIDE combines exactly the qualities we were looking for at this location: flexible space, an authentic atmosphere and a central urban location with a character of its own. With the planned uses, we are creating an open place for learning, encounter and support right in the heart of Essen.”
PARKSIDE scores with its excellent transport links. The Berliner Platz underground station is in the immediate vicinity and well connected to local public transport: Essen Central Station can be reached in 10 minutes. Düsseldorf International Airport is half an hour away by car. The property includes car and bicycle parking spaces, with further parking available within walking distance. The central location also offers attractive leisure options: Weststadt-Park, several hotels and numerous restaurants, gyms, leisure facilities and shops are close by.
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About Brockhoff
Brockhoff GmbH is one of Germany’s leading commercial property brokers and the real estate market leader in the Ruhr region. The owner-managed company, based in Essen, was founded by Eckhard Brockhoff in 1987. With 39 years of experience in the real estate industry, it has extensive expertise in marketing property across OFFICE, INVEST, RETAIL, and LOGISTICS. Its portfolio includes the nationwide sale of office and investment properties, office leasing focused on the Ruhr region, brokerage of retail properties in prime (1A) locations in small, medium-sized, and large German cities, and the leasing and sale of logistics properties. In 2021, ADOMO Beteiligungs GmbH acquired a 41% stake in the company. The remaining 59% of the shares continue to be held by founder and Managing Partner Eckhard Brockhoff.