| Westendstraße 1 | |
|---|---|
Westendstraße 1, Frankfurt-am-Main |
|
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office |
| Location | Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction started | 1990 |
| Opening | 1993 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 208 m (682 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 53 |
| Floor area | 80,700 m2 (868,600 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Kohn Pedersen Fox |
Westendstraße 1 (also known as the Westendtower) is a well-known skyscraper in the Westend of Frankfurt. It was completed in 1993 and together with the City Haus, 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.
At 682 ft (208 m), it is the third highest skyscraper in Frankfurt and also in Germany. The facade consists of fine, golden granite, making it whiter and brighter than skyscrapers visible from afar. The house was designed by architect William Pedersen. The characteristic ring beam at the top of the tower is reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty, but is intended to draw attention to Frankfurt as a coronation of German emperors, and is therefore aligned to the Romans, where the coronation took place. The 95 tonne steel crown is heated in winter, so that can not form icicles that could potentially endanger pedestrians or cars on the street below.
The ground floor is similar to American skyscrapers a large publicly accessible lobby and restaurant.
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.[1]
The building, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, is similar in style to a later building by the same architects, 1250 René-Lévesque in Montreal.