Silver Tower
Encyclopedia
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...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
built by Bilfinger Berger
Bilfinger Berger
Bilfinger Berger is a large, internationally active construction and services company based in Mannheim, Germany.-History:Bilfinger Berger dates back to 1880 when August Bernatz founded an engineering business which became known, from 1886 as Bernatz & Grün and, from 1892, as Grün & Bilfinger.In...
between 1975 and 1978. Along with Gallileo
Gallileo
Gallileo is a 446ft tall skyscraper in Frankfurt, Germany. It was constructed from 1999 to 2003 and has 38 floors. It has 49,000 m² of floor space and is the 14th tallest skyscraper in Frankfurt. Its name is an intentional misspelling of the scientist Galileo's name; the extra l comes from the...
, a newer tower located nearby in the Bahnhofsviertel district, it was part of the headquarters of Dresdner Bank
Dresdner Bank
Dresdner Bank AG was one of Germany's largest banking corporations and was based in Frankfurt. It was acquired by competitor Commerzbank in December 2009.- 19th century :...
, one of Germany's
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
largest banks.
Location and History
The building stands at Jürgen-Ponto-Platz, which opens onto Kaiserstrasse. The square is named after Jürgen PontoJürgen Ponto
Jürgen Ponto, was a German banker and chairman of the Dresdner Bank board of directors. Previously, he had worked as a lawyer...
, the former CEO of Dresdner Bank who was murdered in 1977 by members of the RAF
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
. From 1978 to 2008, the Silver Tower, along with the seven-story building Gallusanlage 8, formed the Executive Headquarters of the Dresdner Bank, to which the neighboring Gallileo skyscraper was added in 2003.
After the takeover of Dresdner Bank by Commerzbank
Commerzbank
Commerzbank AG is the second-largest bank in Germany, after Deutsche Bank, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main.-Activities:Commerzbank is mainly active in commercial bank, retail banking and mortgaging. It suffered reversals in investment banking in early 2000s and scaled back its Securities unit...
in early 2009, the new owner planned to sell the Silver Tower because the office space was no longer needed. But since a sale of the building, which is worth approximately 200 million euros, was no longer deemed possible in the wake of the financial crisis, the complete high-rise was leased on long term to German Railways in the summer of 2009. In addition, Deutsche Bahn AG will also move into the Gallusanlage 8 building; however, the Gallileo highrise will continue to be used by Commerzbank.
Construction
The tower has 2 underground floors and 32 floors above ground. On the third and fourth floors there was a staff canteen until 2008. The 31st floor housed a swimming pool until 1994, when it was converted into a conference room. The 32nd floor was partially destroyed in an April 1, 1998 fire.The story height of the standard floors is 4.2 m, with a floor area of 1900 square meters. The highrise is founded on a 3400 m² reinforced concrete slab that is 4.0 m thick. In plan view, the tower consists of two large, rounded squares which are arranged with a longitudinal offset of several meters. In the resulting niches on each side, two elongated rounded rectangles are located, housing the lifts and emergency staircases. The theme of the rounded corners is repeated throughout the building, for example in the windows and pillars, and information signs on the inside.
Renovation
Since late 2008, the Silver Tower has stood empty and a complete restoration was planned for the tower in 2009. The goal of this restoration is to modernise the office space and reduced the carbon emissions and energy consumption by one-third. The renovation is necessary for fire safety reasons, plus the renovation is to make a contribution to climate protection. Commerzbank seeks to obtain a certificate of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen in silver. The characteristic facade of the tower will remain unchanged. The gutting of the building and the facade replacement will begin in 2010. Interior renovations will begin in 2010 and the ceiling height is to be raised to 3.10 meters. The renovations will be completed by early 2012 so that the employees of Deutsche Bahn can move into the tower.Miscellaneous
The building served as a backdrop for the 1984 German movie Abwärts.The top floor has a gallery with floor-to-ceiling windows wrapping around the auditorium and conference room. The interior hallways there have a collection of neon artwork.
The Silver Tower is located across the street from Skyper
Skyper
Skyper, a skyscraper in Frankfurt am Main’s banking district, is one of three buildings that together form the Skyper ensemble. With 39 floors and an overall height of 154 metres, it is the 12th largest building in Germany...
.