Type Commercial offices Roof 208 m (682 ft) Height 208 m Opened 1993 Cost 400 million USD | Opening 1993 Floor count 533 below ground Floors 53 Construction started 1990 | |
 | ||
Location Westendstraße 1FrankfurtHesse, Germany Floor area 80,700 m (868,600 sq ft) Similar | ||
Westendstrasse 13 m nchen
Westendstraße 1 is a 53-storey, 208 m (682 ft) skyscraper in the Westend-Süd district of Frankfurt, Germany. The structure was completed in 1993 and together with the nearby City-Haus, forms the headquarters of DZ Bank. In 1995 it won the "Best Building of the Year" award by the American Chamber of Architects in the multifunctional skyscraper category. The tower is the third tallest skyscraper in Frankfurt and also in Germany. The facade consists of fine, golden granite, giving it a white and bright appearance from afar. The building was designed by architect William Pedersen. The characteristic ring beam at the top of the tower (known commonly as the crown) is a reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty, but is also intended as a reminder to Frankfurt's history as the city where German emperors were crowned. The crown faces towards the old part of Frankfurt where the coronations were held at the Frankfurt Cathedral. The 95 tonne steel crown is heated in winter to prevent the forming of icicles which could potentially endanger pedestrians or cars on the street below.
Contents
Building
The building is a reinforced concrete structure with a perforated facades and flat slabs. The floor height is usually 3.6 m with a floor area of 950 square meters.
A sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, called Inverted Collar and Tie is set up in front of the entrance.
The building, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, is similar in style to an older building by the same architects, 1250 René-Lévesque in Montreal.
The design for Moshe Aviv Tower also called "City Gate" skyscraper in Ramat Gan was inspired by the building.