Shopping in the supermarket below, growing lettuce above: the REWE Green Farming store in Berlin-Lankwitz shows how the supermarket is evolving. Germany's largest rooftop farm is being built above the wooden market hall. From the summer, lettuce will be growing here - just a few metres above the heads of customers. With the opening of the second REWE Green Farming store on 21 May, REWE is launching the scalable implementation of a new generation of supermarkets.
"With REWE Green Farming, we are further developing our green building strategy and combining circular construction with urban food cultivation," explains Peter Maly, Management Board member of REWE Group. The core element of the new supermarket generation is wood. This renewable raw material offers clear advantages over conventional building materials: it stores carbon and, thanks to its modular construction, the wood can be dismantled and recycled for a second life. The cycle is also closed during operation: Waste heat from the market, a heat pump and rainwater from a cistern provide optimum growing conditions for the urban lettuce on the roof. According to Peter Maly, what seems special today will become standard tomorrow: "Our new generation of supermarkets is now going into series production, and thanks to the modular design, we can optimally adapt the roof utilisation to the location. We are already planning further timber construction supermarkets in Germany."
„We are already planning further timber construction markets in Germany.“Peter Maly, Management Board of REWE Group | Photo: © Christoph Große
The location in Berlin builds on the experience of recent years: REWE has realised more than 350 green buildings since 2009, with a further 130 planned. the first green farming store followed in Wiesbaden in 2021. On this basis, the concept was further developed and optimised for broader implementation. With the location in Berlin, it is now being scaled up.
A central element is the direct link between food production and retail. On the rooftop farm, lettuces are grown in an automated, hydroponic cultivation process with virtually no soil. ECF Farmsystems is behind the visionary cultivation concept: the Berlin-based company will operate the glass rooftop farm in the future. The team around founder Nicolas Leschke stands for innovative food production in urban areas. The first lettuce will be harvested from the supermarket roof from the summer. After harvesting, they will be processed in the market, packaged and sold on site or prepared for transport. In the future, up to 900,000 lettuce mixes can be produced annually and supplied to around 500 markets in the capital region. Compared to imported goods from southern Europe, this will save around 500,000 transport kilometres per year.
„Being a local entrepreneur really appeals to me. The store in Malteserstrasse is a special location that I want to fill with life together with my team.“Felix Thomas, REWE Kaufmann | Photo: © Christoph Große
REWE is also setting new standards in planning and construction: the store in Berlin was planned entirely using the BIM method for the first time. The building was created as a digital twin even before the ground-breaking ceremony, enabling three-dimensional, data-driven and collaborative planning.
The operation of the store is designed for energy efficiency: Thanks to the use of LED lighting, glazed refrigerated shelves and intelligent controls, the location consumes around 50 per cent less energy. 100 per cent green electricity, photovoltaic modules on the roof and a heat pump complete the concept.
With the REWE Green Farming store in Berlin, REWE is showing how recyclable construction, resource-saving operation and urban food production can be combined - and is taking the next step towards a scalable supermarket generation.
- Germany's largest roof farm (2,760 m²)
- 1.800 m³ of native softwood form the supporting structure and store 930 tonnes of CO₂e
- Energy from 100% green electricity, waste heat utilisation and around 200 solar modules
- 50% less energy consumption than standard stores
- 900.000 salad mixes grow on the roof from summer onwards
- 98 car parking spaces with permeable paving, parking spaces for bicycles and cargo bikes
- 4 e-charging stations, operated by EnBW
- Award: "Climate Protection Partner Berlin 2025" awarded by the IHK
- Address: Malteserstraße 136, 12249 Berlin-Lankwitz
Both German and English comments appear here.
Impressing project and cool looking architecture, very future oriented and nature/human friendly.
Would like to have more of these...to gain some hope back again.