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Skidmore, Owings and Merrill - USA
US General Consulate
Siesmayerstrasse 1, Frankfurt
1953 - 1955
The former US General Consulate is one of several buildings designed and realized in Frankfurt by Otto Apel in collaboration with the renowned Chicago architectural office of Skidmore Owings and Merrill. The elegant complex was renovated after the move-out of the Americans in 2005, so that one can now imagine again the euphoric spirit of optimism which characterized the early buildings of the economic miracle era. The architectural office Schneider and Schumacher restored the smooth and continuous transitions between outdoor and indoor spaces, which had been gradually lost as a consequence of security measures. These continuous transitions had been one of the key elements of this embassy architecture, which is a listed building since 1986. An internationally acclaimed innovation in the post-war architecture was the curtain wall glass facade, which disguised the steel skeleton structure. The building is developed on base of 6 x 6 meters a grid, and the ensemble is comprised of a large single-storey base construction with courtyard, covering an area of seven to eight grid squares, and narrow four-storey volume sitting above the base. A slightly recessed mezzanine makes the four-storey volume apper to float above the base. The transparent exterior skin was structured by delicate gold-colored metal profiles, the dark bands of encircling parapets gave the four-storey volume a characteristic stripe pattern, which was popular in the International Style. The windows of the four-storey volume showa a simple subdivision into parapet and wing, while the glazings of the base are further divided by additional rungs, giving them a more refined appearance. The interior of the building, which is surrounded by a park, is also restored to the original clear and functional architectural language. Thanks to the removal of suspended ceilings the rooms are now of greater ceiling height. They are mostly held in white and are animated by contrasting light and dark aluminum profiles as well as black and beige natural stone claddings in the entrance area.