Westhafen Tower in Frankfurt

Westhafen Tower is a transparent, greenish shimmering office tower on the banks of the Main river. At a height of 99 meters (325 feet), the Westhafen Tower is an unmissable eyecatcher of the Frankfurt skyline. The high-rise building was designed by the architectural office schneider + schumacher, along with the neighboring Westhafen-Haus and Brückengebäude (lit. “bridge building”). The ensemble is arranged around the Westhafenplatz plaza and represents the beginning of the West Harbor city quarter.

The supporting structure of the high-rise office building essentially consists of ceilings and walls produced on site as well as reinforced concrete composite columns. The storey-high glazing enables great transparency. Triangular skylights form the end of the building. Westhafen Tower is characterized by its organizationally flexible office use. The shape of a cylinder minimizes the surface of the façade, while the square layouts on the inside allow for different office layouts.

The façade of the highrise tower is made up of 3,556 triangular glass elements. A novel design allows the motorized opening of the rotary wing and thus a natural ventilation and air conditioning of Westhafen Tower. The overlapping of the round exterior facade and the square floor plans creates airspaces. The areas rotate floor by floor by ninety degrees, resulting in four-storey conservatories that minimize the energy required in addition to their development function. For the cooling of the building inside the water of the Main river is used.

The building houses, among others, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and the office rental company Regus.

This model photo shows parts of the Westhafen (bottom left) as well as the Gallus district. The Frankfurt Central Station (top center) and the high-rise skyline of the Financial District are clearly recognizable. This photo was taken in the atrium of the planning department.