Ferdinand Heide Architekten

The design concept envisages a broad visual axis of roughly 90 metres, starting from Wilhelm-Epstein-Strasse. It comprises three high-rise buildings, each of the same height as the existing main building. A logistics centre, a day care centre, a press centre and sports facilities are located along Wilhelm-Epstein-Strasse, outside the security area. Parking facilities are housed entirely in two-storey underground car parks. The compact design of the building ensemble allows for spacious landscaped areas.

The Bundesbank’s wish to integrate all the workplaces of its central office in Frankfurt necessitates the addition of several buildings to the current ensemble on the Wilhelm-Epstein-Strasse campus. At the heart of the concept developed by the architecture firm Ferdinand Heide Architekten lies the idea of strengthening the structural identity of the campus with these new elements. Viewed from the city, the main building, situated in the park area, is to stand alone in future, while on the side facing the Taunus hills, three high-rise buildings of equal height will be added in a way that presents a coherent entity from outside the campus while creating a well-defined, enclosed space within it. The key aim is to make the Bundesbank campus a unique ensemble of strong architectural elements in a park-like setting with mature trees. A conscious decision was made that there should be no new landmark. Instead, all the new buildings are equal in height to the main building. The landscaping is vital to this concept. The largely vehicle-free campus provides a congenial environment for all employees and visitors and distinctive surroundings for the buildings. A park-like green area serves as a forecourt and gives access from the street to the front entrance of the main building.