Messe-Torhaus is a building in Frankfurt

Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

. It was designed by Oswald Mathias Ungers

Oswald Mathias Ungers

Oswald Mathias Ungers was a German architect and architectural theorist, known for his rationalist designs and the use of cubic forms. Among his notable projects are museums in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Cologne....

 and erected in 1985 by the Hochtief

Hochtief

Hochtief Aktiengesellschaft is Germany's largest construction company. It is based in Essen but operates globally, ranking as the top general builder in the United States through its Turner Corporation subsidiary, and in Australia through the Leighton Group. In 2010 it employed more than 70,000...

 company. 400 workers constructed the 60,000 ton building in a record time of 13 months from 1983 to 1984. Its unusual shape and use of materials resembles a guillotine

Guillotine

The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...

. The building houses the administration of the Messe Frankfurt company as well as services like a kindergarten and the press centre.

The building consists of three interconnected components: from a single triangular concave grows out a building with a red stone façade. He pointed at the front and back is a lot of stories high, square opening. Through this opening, an inner, spiegelverglaster component is seen, grows out of the outer and reaches about double of its height. It is 116 meters high and has 30 floors.

In addition to the headquarters of the Administration Center, the gatehouse, the central point of contact for exhibitors and visitors: The level two and three house all the necessary service facilities of contacts for the stand construction, catering and hostess service throughout the central exhibition, as well as tourist information including accommodation reservation to supermarket, post office and hairdresser. Even with a nursery (level one) can be used by Messe Frankfurt, and the only German trade fair location, it offers in-house opportunity for reflective moments prayer room (level four). Also at level four we find the press center with all service facilities for journalists. From level three of the gatehouse can be reached since January 1999 directly to the S-Bahn Frankfurt Messe.

In the immediate vicinity is located on the fairgrounds of Messe Frankfurt, the CHP Mainova AG, which serves as a gate house chimney. Therefore, the building is also known as "Frankfurt's most beautiful fireplace.