Opernturm
Encyclopedia
The OpernTurm is a skyscraper in Frankfurt
, Germany
. The property is situated opposite Alte Oper
on the corner of Bockenheimer Landstrasse and Bockenheimer Anlage. The building was designed by Christoph Mäckler. The project developer was Tishman Speyer, a US firm that previously built the Sony Center
in Berlin
and the MesseTurm
in Frankfurt. UBS AG is the main tenant.
The site was previously occupied by one of Frankfurt's first high-rise buildings, the 68 m tall Zürich Tower (Zürich-Haus) built in 1962. In 1998, Zürich Versicherung, the owner of the building, commissioned Christoph Mäckler's firm to design a new building that would be 22 m taller in order to maximize land use. When the initially proposed building was felt to be rather bulky, Zürich Versicherung suggested to the local government to build the new tower up to a height of 160 m and to compensate for the added height by making available company-owned land to extend the adjacent Rothschildpark down to Bockenheimer Landstrasse. The local government eventually agreed but Zürich Versicherung did not go ahead with the development and sold the now empty site -- the old tower had been demolished in 2002 -- to project developer Tishman Speyer in July 2004.
Civil engineering works started in late 2006 with the removal of the former underground garage of the Zürich Tower. The groundbreaking for the development of OpernTurm took place on 22 January 2007.
The completion of OpernTurm in late 2009 added another landmark to the city's much photographed skyline, with its elegant silhouette and the natural stone façade setting it apart from the glass towers dominating the cityscape. The adjoining Rothschildpark has been extended by 5,500 square metres and redesigned in the style of an English garden.
was the first tenant to move into the podium building. The main tenant (31,000 sqm) in the tower is the German head office of UBS AG. As of year-end 2010 the property was reported to be 95 percent rented.
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The property is situated opposite Alte Oper
Alte Oper
The Alte Oper is a major concert hall and former opera house in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The building was inaugurated in 1880. Many important works have been premiered at the Alte Oper, including Carl Orff's Carmina Burana in 1937....
on the corner of Bockenheimer Landstrasse and Bockenheimer Anlage. The building was designed by Christoph Mäckler. The project developer was Tishman Speyer, a US firm that previously built the Sony Center
Sony Center
The Sony Center is a Sony-sponsored building complex located at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany. It opened in 2000.-History:The site was originally a bustling city centre in the early 20th century. Most of the buildings were destroyed or damaged during World War II...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and the MesseTurm
Messeturm
The Messeturm is a skyscraper in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Its name translates as "Fair Tower" in German. It is the second tallest building in Frankfurt, the second tallest building in Germany. The Messeturm's ground floor area is just . The Messeturm is directly located in the Frankfurt Trade...
in Frankfurt. UBS AG is the main tenant.
Design
The OpernTurm consists of a 170-m high-rise building (42 floors) and an approximately 26-m low-rise podium building (7 floors) facing towards the Alte Oper. Access is through an 18 meter high lobby. The yellow-beige stone cladding of the facades was designed to fit in with the existing buildings surrounding Opernplatz. Designed to consume 23 percent less energy than stipulated by Germany's 2007 EnEV Energy Regulation, the OpernTurm was one of the first office buildings in Europe to be certified to the LEED Gold standard (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).The site was previously occupied by one of Frankfurt's first high-rise buildings, the 68 m tall Zürich Tower (Zürich-Haus) built in 1962. In 1998, Zürich Versicherung, the owner of the building, commissioned Christoph Mäckler's firm to design a new building that would be 22 m taller in order to maximize land use. When the initially proposed building was felt to be rather bulky, Zürich Versicherung suggested to the local government to build the new tower up to a height of 160 m and to compensate for the added height by making available company-owned land to extend the adjacent Rothschildpark down to Bockenheimer Landstrasse. The local government eventually agreed but Zürich Versicherung did not go ahead with the development and sold the now empty site -- the old tower had been demolished in 2002 -- to project developer Tishman Speyer in July 2004.
Civil engineering works started in late 2006 with the removal of the former underground garage of the Zürich Tower. The groundbreaking for the development of OpernTurm took place on 22 January 2007.
The completion of OpernTurm in late 2009 added another landmark to the city's much photographed skyline, with its elegant silhouette and the natural stone façade setting it apart from the glass towers dominating the cityscape. The adjoining Rothschildpark has been extended by 5,500 square metres and redesigned in the style of an English garden.
Tenants
In November 2009, the retailer ManufactumManufactum
Manufactum GmbH & Co. KG is a German retailer with nine full-sized stores in Germany and an online store that serves primarily Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the UK. The main focus of the company are household and garden goods made with traditional manufacturing methods and materials...
was the first tenant to move into the podium building. The main tenant (31,000 sqm) in the tower is the German head office of UBS AG. As of year-end 2010 the property was reported to be 95 percent rented.