Commerzbank Headquarters
Frankfurt
Liakos
Ben
Ariston
McKay
The Structure
•Vision of Sir Norman Foster
•Constructed 1994 - 1997 in the
heart of Frankfurt
•299 meters, 53 floors – the
Tallest building in Europe
•Steel framing
•Green Design
The Green Design
• Minimum Environmental
Impact
• Healthy Human Interaction
• Energy Efficient
Happy Worker make better
world.
!!!
The Scientific “S”
• Virendeel
beams
Cross-section of climatic façade
Daylighting
• 7.5 m from a
window!
• Happy
worker
Cooling and Ventilation
•
•
•
•
Garden spaces provide evaporative cooling
Atrium stack effect produces ventilation
Operable windows
Aerodynamic Building Design
The Solar Envelope
• Not “Green” at other buildings’ expense
Wrapping it all up
(structurally)
At the
Office facades as built, with air gaps top and
bottom of outer glazing
Sitting monkey
The monolith appears
The Social “S”
•Not monolithic, but inviting for the happiness of the
workers
Shape “Forms” Forces
• Socially inviting, not too windy
• Perambulate around the building, stop in a park – a nice park.
• Maybe a Mediterranean park, NO, a North American Park, NO a
Asian park (based on the direction).
Connecting Happy Worker
• You can look into other people’s offices – so there
will be no secrets.
• Secrets that divide us.
SO NICE TO BE OUTSIDE IN GERMANY
Its springtime for Commerzbank
in Germany
][][][][][][][][][
•Galleria, shops, bring
community together
•Fresh feelings
The Symbolic “S”
• On the day the Commerzbank opened, the Financial
Times adopted it as the symbol of Frankfurt, just as it
features Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower as symbols of
London and Paris.
An Evolution in Form
Are we going GREEN?
• Commerzbank symbolizes, as the tallest building
in Europe, A New Form for Structures
• Like the Menai Straits Bridge of this Era
Conflicting Ideals
Billington’s Blunder?
?
• Is structural art, as defined by David P.
Billington applicable to buildings?
• What about the environment?
Skyscraper Words of Wisdom
“If you ever fall off the Commerzbank
Centrale Building, just go real limp,
because maybe you’ll look like a dummy
and people will try to catch you because,
hey, free dummy.”
Jack Handy