Much has happened in Düsseldorf’s city center since the demolition of the “Tausendfüßler”, an elevated motorway built in the early 1960s. With its completion, the Vertikum now enriches the cityscape.

After winning the competition, we were commissioned to design and build an office building with retail space on the ground floor. At the same time, we saw the project as a minimally invasive form of urban repair, as the new building plays an important mediating role on the trapezoidal site at the head of the block. The vertical building is defined by the classic elevation of the corner, but the geometry and materiality of the facade also create a strong, clear image. The shell of the reinforced concrete skeleton does not give away any space; it covers the building from the pavement to the parapet and around the reounded corners, flat but not without depth.

Client: Freundlieb Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG/Convalor Projektpartner GmbH
Photos: © caspar./HGEsch