A 154-meter high glass giant. That’s the Skyper. It dominates the Frankfurt skyline.
The Skyper isn’t just one building. It’s a three-part complex. There’s the neoclassical Skyper Villa. Built in 1915 it’s a beautiful contrast to its modern neighbours. Then there’s the Skyper Tower itself. A 39-story skyscraper. Finally a residential and commercial building called the Skyper Carré completes the ensemble. This architectural marvel was completed between 2002 and 2004. The project cost a staggering 480 million Euros.
JSK Architekten designed the Skyper. They were commissioned by Holzmann AG. The architects worked with the general contractor ABG Real Estate Holding. DekaBank initially bought the Skyper. They intended it for a property fund operated by DekaImmobilien. DekaBank occupied the lower floors. They became the main tenant after the building’s completion in 2005. The ownership changed hands several times. UBS owned it for a period. Now several Allianz companies are its owners.
Today prominent tenants include the Deutsche Bundesbank. Weil Gotshal & Manges and SZA Schilling Zutt & Anschütz law firms also occupy space within Skyper. The Skyper’s foundations are impressive. A combined pile and slab foundation. It sits on a huge irregular foundation plate. The plate measures 1900 square meters. It’s supported by 46 bored piles. Each pile is 1.3 meters in diameter. The skyscraper’s foundations are 13.4 meters deep. They rest on typical Frankfurt clay.
The Skyper Villa is connected to the tower by a stunning glass hall. This nine-meter high hall beautifully links old and new architecture. The villa was once the headquarters of Philipp Holzmann. This construction company owned the entire area. The Skyper Carré adds to the complex. It contains 52 apartments. It also has retail space on the ground floor.
The Skyper stands tall. It’s a symbol of Frankfurt’s ambition. A testament to modern engineering. It’s a striking addition to Frankfurt’s skyline. Across the street is another impressive building. It’s known as the Silver Tower. This further showcases the area’s architectural significance. Even the elevators have recently been upgraded. Now they offer unique building-wide WiFi. A first for Frankfurt.