A tower in the heart of Europe
Location with a view of the Main
The construction of the WINX Tower began at a time of strong and continued economic growth and high demand for commercial real estate: in anticipation of Frankfurt’s increasing attractiveness as an international financial center, fueled by Brexit, many new high-rise buildings were designed and built. As a result, the skyline of the Main metropolis continued to grow.
Today, the WINX Tower is located on the exact spot where the gate towers of Frankfurt’s city wall stood in the Middle Ages. This was an early interface of globalization, where new and exotic goods, important products and people of the most diverse origins came to the free imperial city. Little has changed to this day, except that the WINX Tower has now taken over the role of gateway to Frankfurt’s city center. Its foundations are based on the former site of the Frankfurt Mint, the minting site of the city’s medieval currency – a further reference to Frankfurt’s importance as Germany’s economic metropolis. Last but not least, the WINX Tower’s proximity to the banking district makes it an element of a lively urban center.
Living and working on the banks of the River Main: the WINX Tower site and its immediate vicinity are not only the scene of economic activity, but also of cultural, social and political life in the city. The opera, the theater, the Römer, the Museumsufer and the cathedral are all in the immediate vicinity. Against this backdrop, the WINX Tower is not a solitary building, but is in active, lively dialog with its surroundings and enriches the urban community.
"The aim was to develop small-scale uses in order to reintegrate the previously isolated neighborhood into the network of the urban structure and into the consciousness of the citizens."
Answers to the questions of our time
The location with a view of the River Main, the new lively quarter all around, but also the architecture and the communicative working atmosphere present in it, as well as its furnishings with their high standards, make the WINX Tower an attractive property for an ambitious clientele that is open to a new generation of future-oriented working environments.
On good ground
Spatial and conceptual roots in the historic city
The WINX Tower in Frankfurt is located on a historic site in the medieval old town, which has been shaped by a variety of transformations. Originally located within the Staufer city wall, the quarter was characterized by narrow alleyways and historic buildings. In the 19th century, the area underwent significant changes with the demolition of the Mainz Tower and the bulwark as well as the redesign of the Mainkai. Bombing during the Second World War destroyed almost all the buildings, and Degussa left its mark on the area after the war by building new administrative and high-rise structures.
In the 1980s, architect Christoph Mäckler proposed creating a gateway situation at the western bridgehead of the Untermainbrücke bridge to mark the transition to the city center. This idea was not implemented at first, but was again considered when the Degussa site was redeveloped as part of the MainTor project. Here, Mäckler was able to realize his design for a high-rise building that architecturally enhances the site.
The WINX Tower, the central building in the quarter, combines modern architecture with the historical significance of the location. It is the only high-rise building to stand directly in the medieval old town and reflects the transformation of the quarter from a historic settlement area to a modern business and residential district. The area is complemented by preserved historical elements such as the Hermann-Schlosser-Haus.
The MainTor Quarter, whose development was completed by 2015, exemplifies Frankfurt’s ability to preserve historical roots while creating modern urban structures. The WINX Tower symbolizes this transformation and highlights the importance of the location as an interface between past and present.
1932
"Well-heated" workstations at Degussa's melting furnace with stacks of gold bars and huge ventilation pipes.
2021
Bright workstations in the WINX. The streams of gold and silver flow virtually through the computers and cables of a tenant dealing with financial services; the ventilation systems have disappeared behind ceiling panels.
1952
View from Neue Mainzer Straße to the east into Alte Mainzer Gasse, with the cathedral in the background.
The figure of "The Foundryman" on the Degussa building from the 1930s has been preserved and will be reinstalled.
2021
View from Neue Mainzer Straße to the east into Alte Mainzer Gasse, with new buildings.
1959
The Degussa site from the east: the quarter was hermetically sealed like a castle.
2018
The MainTor area from the east: returned to the city's network of spaces and paths and with WINX in the center, urban life is once again pulsating in the quarter. Only the core of the old Degussa high-rise (see 1959) has been preserved.
ca. 1960
View of Neue Mainzer Strasse looking south towards the Main as far as the Degussa high-rise.
2021
View south along Neue Mainzer Strasse.
In the center of the picture is the remodeled former Degussa high-rise, now topped by the WINX Tower.
Giving back to the city
The urban development concept
The MainTor Quarter in Frankfurt, which includes the WINX Tower, was developed with a new urban planning approach that combines historical references and modern requirements. Unlike the plans of the 1970s and 1980s, which were often commercially oriented and monofunctional, the focus here was on integration into the historic urban fabric. The genius loci – the special nature of the location – served as the basis for a concept that promotes permeability, a mix of uses and greater proximity to citizens.
The central location of the quarter within the medieval old town was seen as an obligation to redevelop the space and integrate it into the urban structure. This includes restored street spaces such as Schneidwallgasse and Alte Mainzer Gasse as well as new thoroughfares and connections reminiscent of historic alleyways such as Papagaigasse. The WINX Tower is integrated into this network through a public pathway that runs along the former city wall.
The quarter comprises a variety of uses: The public square to the east of the WINX Tower serves as a central meeting point with catering facilities and leads to the art garden on the banks of the Main. In addition to office buildings such as the 70-metre-high MainTor Porta in the north and residential buildings such as the “Stadtvillen” and the Palazzi on the banks of the Main, the area offers space for living, working and leisure.
The WINX Tower, as a striking high-rise building in the middle of the quarter, forms a leap in scale that can be explained by the overall view of the Frankfurt skyline. Its plinth development ensures a harmonious integration into the quarter, while the prestigious entrance hall on Neue Mainzer Strasse creates an imposing address. The MainTor Quartier thus embodies a successful transformation from an isolated office courtyard to a lively part of the city center.
On the edge of Mainhattan
The new accent in Frankfurt’s silhouette on the banks of the Main
The vision of architect Christoph Mäckler to build a ring of high-rise buildings around Frankfurt along the avenue ring was not realized. Instead, the city’s high-rise buildings developed mainly along Mainzer Landstrasse, Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage and Neue Mainzer Strasse, particularly concentrated in the Westend. This haphazard development was deliberately controlled by high-rise development plans from 1999 onwards, resulting in a characteristic skyline that is perceived internationally as coherent and harmonious.
The WINX Tower is part of this development and makes a decisive contribution to the aesthetics of the skyline. It connects the banks of the Main with the high-rise cluster on Neue Mainzer Strasse and forms a visual bridge to Commerzbank, the tallest building in the city. The tower is not a dominant solitaire, but integrates harmoniously into the urban ensemble. Its angular, clear form and cubature follow the principle of design variation, making it a “team player” within the skyline. In contrast to conspicuous or confrontational designs, the WINX Tower supports the ensemble effect and preserves the homogeneity of the Frankfurt skyline.
A central location such as the MainTor emphasizes the importance of the skyline for the perception of the city, especially from the south or from the European Central Bank (ECB) in the east. The addition of the WINX Tower strengthens the overall picture and turns the skyline into a unique “sculpture”, especially at dusk or at night with its illuminated façades. The high-rise development plan and the clever choice of location protect Frankfurt from uncontrolled densification, as is common in many metropolitan areas, and promote an urban identity that combines structure and aesthetics.
WINX. New life in the neighborhood
This book describes how the WINX Tower complements Frankfurt’s high-rise silhouette and revitalizes the district. The volume provides insights into plans and floors, provides information about Chiharu Shiota’s “Passage” and presents the building in pictures with fascinating perspectives – from the shell to the completed tower.