On 15 January 2019, the Bundesbank unveiled an exhibition to present various design concepts for the future campus of its Frankfurt central office. Six architecture firms had submitted proposals on designing the Bundesbank campus. “The Executive Board decided, at the recommendation of the campus advisory committee, in favour of the proposal submitted by the architecture firm Ferdinand Heide Architekten,” said Executive Board member Johannes Beermann at the opening of the exhibition. He went on to explain that the draft concept is characterised, above all, by a compact building ensemble which allows for spacious open areas.

The architecture firm Ferdinand Heide Architekten has now been commissioned with turning the draft concept into a detailed overall concept. Proceeding from there, the Bundesbank will launch an architectural competition for the actual design of the individual buildings.

Urban development to benefit Frankfurt

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Mike Josef, Head of the Planning Department of the City of Frankfurt, praised the concept submitted by Ferdinand Heide, saying that his draft concept stands out from the others primarily because Frankfurt will benefit from it in urban development terms. “With his ideas regarding an overall design concept for the Bundesbank’s future campus, he succeeds in keeping the main building – which can today be called an icon of the Brutalist style and is certainly a part of Frankfurt’s identity – integrated into the ensemble,” Mr Josef commented.

Ferdinand Heide’s draft concept ensures that the view of the distinctive main building from the distinctiveGrüneburgpark and the city centre will remain unobstructed. On the side facing the Taunus hills and Wilhelm-Epstein-Strasse, three disc-shaped buildings of equal height are to be erected. Unlike other draft concepts which feature a new high-rise that towers above the present main building, in Ferdinand Heide’s model all the new buildings will be of the same height as the main building. “The proposal pays due respect to the main building. It has stood for stability and prosperity in Germany for almost 50 years,” Mr Beermann pointed out.

Car-free Campus

Before the exhibition was opened, architect Ferdinand Heide explained that the campus buildings in his model are arranged much like the layers of an onion. A logistics centre, a day care centre, a conference and press centre as well as sports facilities are positioned along Wilhelm-Epstein-Strasse, outside the security area, he added, facilitating access by the public.

Bundesbank Executive Board member Johannes Beermann pointed out, moreover, that the draft concept of Ferdinand Heide Architekten involves the lowest degree of soil sealing. Motor vehicles, he continued, will be parked in a two-storey underground garage, leaving the campus largely car-free. Expansive open spaces mean that the visual axes to the main building will be retained – an aspect that was key to selecting the most suitable draft concept.

Six draft concepts

Within the scope of a Europe-wide procedure, six architecture firms had submitted proposals for a draft concept for the Bundesbank campus on Wilhelm-Epstein-Strasse. The task they faced was to produce a building concept to accommodate up to 5,000 workplaces and just over 1,500 parking spaces. Moreover, they had to take high security requirements into consideration and provide an attractive open space concept.

Guided Tours

The exhibition “The new campus – draft concepts for the Bundesbank’s central office” is open to visitors from 16 January 2019. Guided tours are offered free of charge. However, visitors must sign up in advance at “frankfurter-stadtevents.de”.