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Frankfurt am Main
Photo: Michael Lahanas
Silver Tower (also known as the Dresdner Bank Hochhaus, Silberturm, Silberling, and Jürgen Ponto Highrise) is a 166 metre (32 floor) high-rise in Frankfurt, Germany built by Bilfinger Berger[1] between 1975 and 1978. Along with Gallileo, a newer tower located nearby in the Bahnhofsviertel district, it was part of the headquarters of Dresdner Bank, one of Germany's largest banks.
Location and History
The building stands at Jürgen-Ponto-Platz, which opens onto Kaiserstrasse. The square is named after Jürgen Ponto, the former CEO of Dresdner Bank who was murdered in 1977 by members of the RAF. From 1978 to 2008, the Silver Tower, along with the seven-story building Gallusanlage 8, formed the Executive Headquarters of the Dresdner Bank, to which the neighboring Gallileo skyscraper was added in 2003.
After the takeover of Dresdner Bank by Commerzbank in early 2009, the new owner planned to sell the Silver Tower because the office space was no longer needed. But since a sale of the building, which is worth approximately 200 million euros, was no longer deemed possible in the wake of the financial crisis, the complete high-rise was leased on long term to German Railways in the summer of 2009. In addition, Deutsche Bahn AG will also move into the Gallusanlage 8 building; however, the Gallileo highrise will continue to be used by Commerzbank.
Construction
The tower has 2 underground floors and 32 floors above ground. On the third and fourth floors there was a staff canteen until 2008. The 31st floor housed a swimming pool until 1994, when it was converted into a conference room. The 32nd floor was partially destroyed in an April 1, 1998 fire.
The story height of the standard floors is 4.2 m, with a floor area of 1900 square meters. The highrise is founded on a 3400 m² reinforced concrete slab that is 4.0 m thick. In plan view, the tower consists of two large, rounded squares which are arranged with a longitudinal offset of several meters. In the resulting niches on each side, two elongated rounded rectangles are located, housing the lifts and emergency staircases. The theme of the rounded corners is repeated throughout the building, for example in the windows and pillars, and information signs on the inside.
Renovation
Since late 2008, the Silver Tower has stood empty and a complete restoration was planned for the tower in 2009. The goal of this restoration is to modernise the office space and reduced the carbon emissions and energy consumption by one-third. The renovation is necessary for fire safety reasons, plus the renovation is to make a contribution to climate protection. Commerzbank seeks to obtain a certificate of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen in silver. The characteristic facade of the tower will remain unchanged. The gutting of the building and the facade replacement will begin in 2010. Interior renovations will begin in 2010 and the ceiling height is to be raised to 3.10 meters. The renovatons will be completed by early 2012 so that the employees of Deutsche Bahn can move into the tower.
Miscellaneous
The building served as a backdrop for the 1984 German movie Abwärts.
The top floor has a gallery with floor-to-ceiling windows wrapping around the auditorium and conference room. The interior hallways there have a collection of neon artwork.
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The Silver Tower is located across the street from Skyper.
