The new headquarters of the European Central Bank

Work the way to Frankfurt for the new headquarters of the European Central Bank. The future headquarters of the ECB rise in the Grossmarkthalle – the old wholesale market – and will be a real “vertical city” . The project bears the signature of the Viennese firm Coop Himmelb (l) au, 2004del winner in international design competition held by the ECB. On 19 May we held the ceremony of laying the first stone in the presence of the European Central Bank President Jean Claude Trichet, the Mayor of Frankfurt Petra Roth, the architect Wolf D. Prix at the head of Coop Himmelb (l) au . The complex will be operational in 2014, with almost four years later than the original program.

The project consists of three elements: two slightly twisted polygonal towers of 185 meters and 165 meters (45 and 43 floors), triggered on a building with horizontal, in marked contrast with the verticality of the towers. These are connected by a full height atrium which platforms make the connection principal area of communication of the complex.
Cut horizontally into three sections of different heights (from 45 to 72 meters high), the atrium gives shape to a real “vertical city” in which public spaces, plazas and pathways connecting the two towers.

The predominance of glass responds to the designers to create an architecture which transparency could symbolize the fundamental principle that the ECB intends to convey. Choice that has not foreclosed the possibility of energy savings. The complex has in fact energy consumption 30% less than the standard German buildings. Natural ventilation and geothermal energy in comparison to limit fuel consumption for cooling in summer and heating during the winter. The use of low emissivity glass will also provide better insulation of the entire structure.