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Garden Towers
Neue Mainzer Strasse 48 - 50, Frankfurt
1973 - 1976
The Garden Tower is a skyscraper in downtown Frankfurt, which was built 1973 - 1976 for the Hessische Landesbank (Helaba), and simply called Helaba skyscraper at this time. The building was realized according to a design by Novotny Mähner Associated, and was one of the first skyscrapers in the Frankfurt banking district. Initially, the project had to overcome some difficulties, since the clients exchanged their management during the construction period, and there was a building freeze due to numerous plan changes, among them an alteration in the number of floors. Originally, the building was designed with a bridge over the Neue Mainzer Strasse, which would have been the starting point for a pedestrian network on stilts in the financial district. Nevertheless, a new high-rise building type was introduced in Frankfurt with this complex, which is characterized by volumes of different heights and different facade designs. A special feature at this time were the octagonal floor plans. The Garden Tower consists of two towers, the higher rises up to 127 meters. Tower A has 25 floors and Tower B has 15 floors. The two towers are connected to each other, up to the 14th floor, and accommodate open-plan offices with glass facades. Two slim towers, clad with granite, serve as supply cores and complement the glazed offices. This façade design makes the different uses visible on the exterior. For its unusual shape, which is also a consequence of the small plot, the building received an award for Exemplary Buildings in 1978. In 2005 the building was reopened after substantial refurbishment under its current name Garden Towers. The two-year renovation was planned by KSP Engel und Zimmermann. The towers were completely pitted, only the steel and concrete skeleton remained. After the removal of asbestos, they were re-clad with a new glass façade. The polygonal shape of the building remained unchanged by this refurbishment. A special feature which was introduced in the renovation are twelve conservatories, which were cut into the facade. Most office floors either grant direct access to their own garden or offer a view to one of the two-storey conservatories. Since the renovation various companies are housed in the high-rise building. The Landesbank instead moved out in 1999, and has its offices now in the adjacent Main Tower.