The history of the new headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Main turned out to be long, loud and even scandalous. The official opening of the skyscraper took place in the spring of 2015 and was accompanied by mass protests and riots, during which leftist activists made statements about the inconsistency of such an ambitious and expensive project with the principles of a democratic Europe. At the same time, including from the point of view of the architectural form, the skyscraper was originally conceived precisely as a symbol of the European Union. 11 years passed from the competitive concept of 2003 to the completion of construction, during which its geometry was changed and the budget was revised.
In the final form, the building is a high-rise volume slightly twisted along the axis with an atrium of a hyperboloid configuration in the center, connected by a diagonal glass wedge with the famous wholesale market Grossmarkthalle (1928). Thus, the historical monument has become part of a modern high-rise complex. The glass atrium visually and constructively divides the skyscraper into two towers and at the same time creates a sharp soaring vertical. Such an architectural solution creates a spectacular diversity of the building - from the southeast it looks powerful and monolithic, and from the west it looks light and dynamic. In the context of the urban landscape, the building is located in such a way that all vantage points and landmark objects in the area are taken into account, which corresponds to the concept of a "polycentric city" by Wolf Pryks, founder and head of Coop Himmelb (l) au.
The space of the atrium is organized according to the “vertical city” principle. Stairs and elevators provide access to the offices on the floors, and the planned hanging gardens are designed to create a comfortable atmosphere for their employees. Three horizontal platforms at different levels - from 45 to 60 m - unite the individual parts of the building, creating public areas.
Along the entrance area is a visitor lobby, a two-story press conference room and a lecture hall. The former Grossmarkthalle in the new architectural complex serves as a city foyer, which houses a conference and visitor center, a library and a staff canteen. They are designed as diagonally spaced independent volumes. The horizontal “market” and vertical office parts are connected by a glass gallery, the main entrance to the bank - through the historic market building - is marked by an energetic cantilever extension.
The building was built in accordance with sustainable architecture standards: a highly efficient three-layer façade provides natural ventilation of offices (in combination with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery), protecting them from excessive sunlight and heat; collection of rainwater is provided. There is no air conditioning system in the atrium and open areas of the Grossmarkthalle: they serve as buffer zones between the external environment and the "interior" microclimate.
