Commerzbank - 1997

When it was completed in 1997, Commerzbank was not only the tallest building in Europe, but also the world’s first ecological office tower. In analysing working patterns and developing new ideas for its ecology, the design addressed questions on the nature of the office environment. Each office is daylit with openable windows, allowing the tower to be naturally ventilated most of the year – the building is designed to use just half the energy of a typical high rise building. Four-storey gardens, planted from North America, Asia or the Mediterranean according to orientation, are set at different levels on each side of the tower. These function as a visual and social focus for the village-like clusters of offices and bring daylight and fresh air into the atrium, which acts as a natural ventilation chimney for the inward-facing offices.