Schule am Hang in Frankfurt celebrates topping-out ceremony

08 May 2025

Photo of a wooden gable wall element suspended from a crane above the Schule am Hangs in Frankfurt.

Energy-efficient refurbishment and new construction
Space for 550 children and teachers
Serial renovation with timber elements

On Tuesday, May 6, Schule am Hang in Bergen-Enkheim celebrated the topping-out ceremony for its extensive renovation and planned extension. However, due to the construction of prefabricated timber elements, the ceremony did not take place in the traditional sense with a fully covered roof, but rather marked the completion of the assembly of the final timber components. One of the last gable components was moved to the installation site during the topping-out ceremony. The preparatory demolition and gutting work had already begun at the end of 2021, which resulted in the school temporarily moving to a relocation site in Barbarossastrasse. From summer 2026, the elementary school will then be taught in its new premises at the Am Bächelchen site.

The event was celebrated in the presence of the client from the City of Frankfurt, the architects (HK Architekten, Schwarzach and NEUMANNarchitektur), the school management, Sylvia Weber, Head of Education and Construction, our divisional managers from ZÜBLIN Timber Roman Kreutmayr and Simon Pfeffer and numerous project participants.

Niklas, construction/project manager at ZÜBLIN Timber, performed the traditional topping-out ceremony:

With a raised glass in his hand,
the carpenter stands at the topping-out ceremony stand.
A building made of wood, with sense and strength,
that promotes knowledge, creates the future.

Not only is a building growing up here,
a gateway to the future is opening here.
For curiosity, courage and a thirst for knowledge -
the school will soon be filled with sound.

The client, the city of Frankfurt, has thought well,
relies on timber construction in all its glory.
Tradition, craftsmanship built with foresight,
made in Aichach, trusted here in Frankfurt.

Kudos to the architects too,
such attention to detail, it must be!
Whether renovation or new build -
Their plan was always wonderful.

And the fact that both fit together here,
requires nerve, courage - and contrast.
It came from forests, for good reason,
strong and healthy as a building material.

It breathes peace, carries with power,
what makes people and the environment happy.

So I toast with a happy sound,
so that it resounds for a lifetime:
Happiness on the building site, lots of children's laughter,
and the teachers who do a good job!

Long live the work, right here in Frankfurt!
I raise the glass - long live the building!

Niklas
construction/project manager at ZÜBLIN Timber

In this project, we are responsible for the serial renovation of the five existing pavilions, the new construction of the canteen and the learning houses in timber construction and all façade work on the various buildings, including the new gymnasium.

Other special features of the project:

The conversion of the school also included 21 nesting boxes for bats and 30 boxes for swifts. In addition: green roofs and "the maximum number of photovoltaic systems".

The topping-out ceremony will be followed by the further expansion of the school complex. Windows, roof and roof greening, as well as the preparation of the PV system, are now being carried out by the respective trades. The façade is 80% complete and the pilaster strips are currently being pre-assembled on site and then installed as a whole.

The elementary school in Bergen-Enkheim will be able to use its new building at the Am Bächelchen site from summer 2026.