Commerzbank Tower Frankfurt

Facts & figures

Commerzbank's Head Office on Kaiserplatz is the stand-out architectural landmark of the German financial capital of Frankfurt. This extraordinary building, designed by Sir Norman Foster, has been a feature of Frankfurt's skyline since 1997 and is considered an outstanding example of environmentally-friendly and energy-saving architecture.

Conception

Visitors enter the 259-metre high tower from Kaiserplatz via a stairway covered by a glass roof. On the first floor, they are greeted by a spacious plaza with a restaurant. Above the lobby, which adjoins the plaza and was redesigned in 2023, a well-lit central atrium rises through all the floors, creating a bright and pleasant atmosphere. The nine sky gardens, the building’s ‘green lungs’, can be used by employees as meeting and break areas.

New Work

Mobile working means adapting classic room concepts. An innovative and forward-looking workplace concept called New Work has been implemented. It encourages agile working methods and is tailored to employees’ needs and requirements. All floors have been fitted with new room modules such as think tanks, team offices and lounge areas. The workstations have been furnished with ergonomic office chairs and height-adjustable desks as well as flexible technical equipment. In addition to the open, flexible seating concept, all of these features offer plenty of opportunities for employees to find the right place to focus, collaborate and communicate.

Architecture

The ground plan is the shape of an isosceles triangle with rounded corners and slightly convex sides. This allows for the floors of the building and the shafts at the three corners to be arranged around the central atrium. The atrium, which is also triangular in shape, gives the tower an open and transparent feel. The building is enclosed within a two-layer façade. This permits natural ventilation and saves energy. The stepped top of the tower rounds off the building in a highly distinctive manner and creates a striking landmark for Frankfurt's banking district.

Sky gardens

The nine spacious sky gardens rise up the tower in spiral form, with three each facing either eastwards, southwards or westwards. Each geographical orientation has a different botanical theme, featuring Mediterranean, North American or Asian vegetation. The gardens provide the inner offices with plenty of daylight. They can be used by staff for meetings and breaks; they also create a feeling of openness and space and form part of the sophisticated system of natural ventilation. Through design elements, suitable colour concepts and sound effects, such as the chirping of Mediterranean crickets or birdsong, employees can immerse themselves in another world and be inspired.

Green Building

Architect and client worked together to create an innovative design for the Commerzbank Tower that is both environmentally- and climate-friendly. The natural ventilation and eco-friendly air conditioning make a lasting contribution to climate protection. The Tower has been powered entirely by green electricity since the beginning of 2008 and – like all Commerzbank buildings – it is cleaned exclusively with biodegradable cleaning products. In 2009, the Commerzbank Tower was given the “Green Building Frankfurt ” award by the City of Frankfurt.