The developer creates first German high-rise to combine work, living and public areas under one roof

Tishman Speyer will continue its shaping the skyline of Frankfurt’s banking district with its newest project. This week the company has now presented its plans for the development of the former Metzler site at Grosse Gallusstrasse 16–18 to the public. Reflecting the plans of the architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the skyline will be enriched by an “innovative yet architecturally playful and ecologically sustainable design,” says Florian Reiff, Senior Managing Director of Tishman Speyer in Germany. The building will be approximately 185 meters high with a gross floor area of around 60,000 square meters for commercial and residential use over 45 floors. Furthermore, the base of the high-rise will be used to create exciting places for dining and public use.

Bjarke Ingels, founder of the architecture firm of the same name, explains the idea behind the design: “Frankfurt’s unique urban setting combines classical European perimeter blocks with high-rises forming a vibrant cluster in the city center. The new tower will emerge right in the center of this mix of high and low.” The design is therefore articulated as a slender and rational stack of floors, interrupted by sculptural moves where the program changes to residential and public uses. “In the middle of the silhouette the spiraling and shifting residential floors create terraces and loggias. These sculptural movements will lend the building a presence of human scale,” says Bjarke Ingels. “The design we proposed reflects the special character of Frankfurt because it combines work and living in a building that is at once both classical and sculptural.”

The mayor and head of the planning department Olaf Cunitz (Die Grünen) is delighted by the forthcoming development in the downtown area: “Our goal as a city is to be seen as a metropolis of international standing. We are therefore extremely pleased that Tishman Speyer who are known in Frankfurt for their high quality developments is working with a firm of architects that is also responsible for shaping the skyline of New York. In particular, the mixed use will have a positive effect on the banking district and the city center as a whole.” The head of the office of urban planning, Martin Hunscher, added: “In addition to architectural aspirations, it was important to us to create an open space for apartments, work and living and to further grow the appeal of the downtown area.”

“Urban planning is a big responsibility when developing one of the last high-rise locations in the banking district,” explains Florian Reiff. This is why the architect was selected as part of an extensive process involving five selected local and international firms. All the participants presented their designs to a panel of experts including the planning policy spokespeople on behalf of the Römer factions and the office of urban planning. Following a detailed analysis in terms of architectural, urban planning and planning law aspects, the expert panel decided on the innovative design by the Bjarke Ingels Group. Florian Reiff explains why the Copenhagen-based architects were chosen: “We want to create a new type of high-rise, a building that is open and approachable. The design put forward breaks down the standard separation of work, living and public life.” BIG’s proposal is a design with a strong presence both at street level and in the skyline. Especially the apartment floors and the public base of the high-rise are distinct elements in the architecture and make a vivid impression.

The public is invited to see the winning design for themselves: All designs will remain on exhibit in the planning department’s atrium until June 25th 2015.