24 Sep 2017
Ole Scheeren announces first European building: a green-topped Frankfurt tower
BY Kim Megson
German architect Ole Scheeren, best-known as the designer of a series sculptural towers in Asia, has announced his first project to be built in Europe: a spectacular residential high-rise in the city of Frankfurt.
Riverpark Tower, commissioned by developer GEG German Estate Group, will emerge through the conversion of a forty-year-old concrete office building.
Büro Ole Scheeren, the architect’s eponymous practice, will cut some floors and insert new, larger horizontal panoramic plates into the free-spanning concrete structure of the tower. A new crown will also top the building.
The building will house 220 residential units across 23 floors, and leisure facilities will include a cafe, a lounge, a gym and a fitness suite.
Prominently located on the banks of the river Main, with a height of almost 100m (328ft), the tower will offer sweeping views of the city's striking skyline – including from landscaped terraces scattered across the building.
Scheeren said his goal was for “the transparency and openness of the dynamically layered, sculptural architecture to stand in stark contrast to the mute office towers of the city.”
“This project presents a convincing example for high-quality living in a high-rise in Germany,” he added. “By transforming a hermetically enclosed office tower from the 70s into an open, light-flooded residential experience, we demonstrate that the intelligent and sustainable reuse of an existing building can enrich the quality of life – not only in the building itself but also for its context and urban life beyond.
“Riverpark Tower will come to stand as a beacon for the future of Frankfurt."
Scheeren was previously a partner at OMA, working alongside Rem Koolhaas on projects such as Beijing’s CCTV Headquarters.
Since branching out alone he has also worked on MahaNakhon, Bangkok's tallest skyscraper; The Interlace residential development in Singapore, winner of World Building of the Year in 2015; and the Guardian Art Center near the Forbidden City in Beijing, which is nearing completion.
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