CTBUH 2023 Europe Conference Summary
Frankfurt, 22 & 23 June, 2023
CTBUH Germany Chapter Chair Roland Bechmann, Managing Director & Partner, Werner Sobek AG, gave opening remarks to conference attendees.
The first annual CTBUH 2023 Europe Conference, “Full Circle: The Life and Second Life of European Tall Buildings,” occurred 22 & 23 June, in Frankfurt. The first full day of conference sessions, on Friday, 23 June, was held on the top floor of Silver Tower, the tallest building in Europe at the time of its completion in 1978. Having recently undergone a significant renovation to bring it up to date for fire protection, energy consumption, and occupational safety, the venue exemplified the conference theme: the "second life" of a skyscraper.
With more than 100 attendees from 34 cities, representing 18 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and United States, the conference delivered a unique exchange of diverse voices addressing best practices and conversations on the future of tall buildings and density in the European region. Through insightful presentations, stimulating discussion, remarkable off-site tours, and distinct networking opportunities, a wide range of topics were tackled, including the evolving focus in the tall building industry for repositioning current buildings, climate change and other global challenges, and the importance of knowledge sharing and sustainable design.
We’d especially like to recognize the CTBUH Europe Steering Committee and the many sponsors below who made this such a successful event:
Platinum
Development Partner, GmbH
IMFARR
Gold
Arcelor Mittal
Silver
AGC Glass Europe
Drees & Sommer
Peikko
Redesco Progetti srl
Thursday, 22 June
Off-site Tours
On the day before the core conference, attendees had the option to tour buildings that demonstrated the convergence of architectural ingenuity and urban development. The tours showcased sustainable and innovative practices and enriched attendees' overall understanding of the ever-evolving potential for tall buildings.
FOUR Frankfurt
Currently under construction, FOUR Frankfurt is part of the refurbishment of the Deutsche Bank site, which consists of four high-rise buildings, connected by a common base building, the tallest reaching 228 meters in height. The construction site is one of the largest ever in Frankfurt, employing up to 3,000 people, and the four towers combine uses such as hotels, serviced apartments, and offices. The tour was led by Bernd Glücker, General Manager, Werner Sobek, and representatives from UN Studio and Gross and Partner.
Messeturm
At a height of 256.5 meters, Messeturm is one of the tallest and best-known buildings in Germany. Originally completed in 1990, the building recently underwent an extensive renovation to meet modern requirements. On this tour, attendees received the developer's perspective on this important refresh, as well as learned about some of the impressive engineering, including the large-format glazing that was added to open up the lobby and one of the largest pieces of curved insulated glass ever installed in a building. The tour was led by Holger Bergau, Senior Manager Repositioning, Office First, and Roland Bechmann, Managing Director and Partner, Werner Sobek.
Omniturm
Completed in 2019, Omniturm is a mixed-use tower organized as a slender and rational stack of inhabited floors, interrupted by two sculptural moves where the program changes. The floor plates slide out in a spiraling movement, creating terraces and outdoor space for residential floors above, and separate the office floors below. Leading the tour of the dynamic design was Kai-Uwe Bergmann, Principal, Bjarke Ingels Group, with Schneider Gracieli Luiza, Commerz Real AG.
Thursday, 22 June
Networking Reception
Held at the Gaia Rooftop, in downtown Frankfurt, and set against the backdrop of towering high-rises, this evening event afforded attendees a panoramic spectacle of urban density; the city's skyline provided a stunning visual narrative to kick-off the conference.
Friday, 23 June
Morning Session
CTBUH Germany Chapter Chair Roland Bechmann started off the day by highlighting the significance of coming together for the first Europe regional conference, a pioneering event aimed at connecting CTBUH members from across the continent. He emphasized the need for everyone in the industry to shift towards sustainable, carbon-emission-free designs by reusing materials, as well as refurbish high-rises in Frankfurt and other cities where new towers are being constructed. Additionally, he spoke about his involvement in the CTBUH European Board and Steering Committee and its goals to celebrate more diversity in construction.
Up next, CTBUH Chair Steve Watts welcomed everyone and stressed the importance of conducting feasibility studies before demolishing buildings. Recognizing the potential issues involved, he championed CTBUH’s commitment to promoting best practices in tall building construction and underscored the industry's shift from a fixation on height and numbers to a focus on sustainability and technical ambition. Watts also shared insights on the emerging global trends in tall building design, looking at sustainable materials, efficient resource utilization, and the significance of reusing existing structures.
CTBUH Europe Regional Director Dario Trabucco asked attendees "Are we doing enough as consultants and engineers?"
CTBUH Europe Regional Director Dario Trabucco then took the stage and revealed the economic importance of tall buildings within cities, emphasizing their role in stimulating economic growth. He pointed out the evolution of CTBUH's global network and more deeply discussed the importance of preserving historical landmarks in dense areas and the pressing need for better urban density solutions in rapidly growing cities. He posed a thought-provoking question to lead the conference: “Are we doing enough as consultants and engineers?”
Peter Cachola Schmal (left), Director, DAM, and Kai-Uwe Bergmann (right), Partner, BIG, presented and then had a one-on-one discussion about building tall in European cities.
The formal program of the conference opened with Kai-Uwe Bergmann, Partner, Bjarke Ingels Group, presenting three projects: Omniturn, Frankfurt; EDGE, East Side Berlin; and CapitaSpring, Singapore, with a particular emphasis on their integrations with vegetation, public space, and connectors in activating urban social spaces. Following Bergmann's presentation, Peter Cachola Schmal, Director, Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM), spoke about the history and development of high-rises in Germany, particularly in key metropolitan cities such as Munich, Berlin, and Frankfurt. According to Schmal, cities outside of Frankfurt have struggled to allow height to happen, and he posed this query: “Why has Frankfurt been the single place for high-rises in Germany? What is really going on?” Bergmann and Schmal then sat down to discuss the phenomenon of high-rise construction in Frankfurt and the challenges and exceptions of building within European cities.
We never stopped listening to the community. The city wanted to be a part of the process—so we added public use into the project.
– Kai-Uwe Bergmann, Partner, Bjarke Ingels Group
The next morning session, “Building Tall in an Evolving Context,” was chaired by Ariane Dienstag, Founder, Ariane Dienstag sas, who began by stating that projects should be giving something back to the community, such as greenery, open areas, light-filled spaces, and places to share together, especially when building at height in dense areas.
Martin Reuter, Managing Director, Ingenhoven Associates GmbH, presented on super green high-rises, illustrating a commitment to energy efficiency, natural ventilation, and CO2 reduction, as well as projects that looked at adaptive reuse and heritage. He offered the examples of 1 Bligh Street, Sydney; 1 Spiring Street, Melbourne; Toranomon Hills Towers, Tokyo; Marina One, Singapore; and a reuse project in Düsseldorf. Reuter pointed out the ground-floor amenities of these projects and posited: “We should be offering enhanced surroundings when building high-rises.”
Moshe Tzur, Founder & Owner, Moshe Zur Architects presents examples of new development with historic buildings and urban spaces.
In another insightful presentation, Moshe Tzur, Founder & Owner, Moshe Zur Architects and Town Planners, spoke about Tel Aviv's architectural evolution and the city's rich history, noting the historic urban plan that prioritized pedestrians and, over time, embraced new high-rise constructions. He gave a prime example of a project merging the old with the new: the formal pocket gardens at Azrieli Sarona Tower (2018 Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa), which features rotated volumes and a double-skin façade that symbolizes Tel Aviv's architectural heritage. The project also embraces modern design principles and connects high-rises within historical urban patterns.
Afterward, Mauro Eugenio Giuliani, Founding Partner, Design Director, Redesco Progetti Srl, focused on addressing the carbon footprint and embedded carbon in Italian high-rise architecture. Noting the historical significance of towers as symbols of power and aesthetics, Giuliani emphasized the shift from traditional engineering to contemporary materials and technologies; he also shared that Milan, while advertised as a skyscraper city, currently boasts only 10 high-rises. Giuliani then drew attention to projects such as the Generali Tower, PwC Tower, and Palazzo Sistema Park Association, each employing innovative design principles, including parametric design, rebar prefabrication, and the integration of wood for increased efficiency. He concluded with a succinct to-do list for designers and developers: do more with less, refine construction methods, and promote integrated design with a priority on the conceptualization phase and BIM implementation.
Buildings look different throughout the years. We were using water management when no one was using it, but now it is normal. When you have innovation, it may not be seen as an innovation when you finish it.
– Tina Kortmann, Associate Director/Senior Architect, UNStudio
Rounding out the morning sessions, Tina Kortmann, Associate Director/Senior Architect, UNStudio, provided an in-depth depiction of the FOUR Frankfurt project, involving four towers with mixed functionalities, from competition to construction. Located in the heart of the city, the project is noteworthy for bringing a residential tower into the financial district, emphasizing permeability in the urban structure, and has an urban windmill and a green roof accessible to the public. A brief Q&A with the speakers and audience followed the presentations.
Friday, 23 June
Afternoon session
Panelists discuss material availbility and innovation and how that affects new developments and their impact on carbon goals and urbanization. (L to R): Stefanie Weidner, Director Sustainability Strategies, Werner Sobek AG; Julia Köhler, Senior Structural Consultant, CREE GmbH; Michael Elstner, Technical Advisory Service Manager, AGC Glass Europe; and Nicoleta Popa, Head of Construction Resident Engineers, ArcelorMittal.
Conference attendees returned from lunch and jumped into the afternoon with a riveting panel discussion, "Closing the Circle: Technological and Material Innovations for the Built Environment."
Michael Elstner, Technical Advisory Service Manager, AGC Glass Europe, started by expressing the commitment of his firm to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030—and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050—and relayed that their products have the potential to save nine times the amount of CO2 emitted.
Julia Köhler, Senior Structural Consultant, CREE GmbH, described her company’s patented prefabricated timber hybrid system for constructing buildings, which prioritizes efficiency in material usage: rather than using as much timber as possible, they focus on using materials in the most efficient way, maximizing sustainability and resource optimization.
Nicoleta Popa, Head of Construction Resident Engineers, ArcelorMittal, advocated for steel as a sustainable and circular solution when it is efficiently recycled.
Stefanie Weidner, Director Sustainability Strategies, Werner Sobek AG, moderated the panel and asked thought-provoking questions about material use and their impact on construction and sustainability. Together, the panel addressed questions about availability, scalability, and the use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and other certifications. Panelists noted that while certifications are necessary, the diversity of regional standards complicates matters, and there was an expressed concern about the proliferation of "look-alike" certifications in the industry. But the consensus was clear: evaluating EPDs as a whole-building performance metric was seen as crucial for the future.
Audience members asked questions about material applications, the use of AI, and the goals of each panelist. Responding to the latter, Köhler emphasized the importance of timber adoption in high-rise buildings for sustainability, Elstner highlighted the industry's challenge to continue its sustainable path, and Popa stressed the necessity of achieving net-zero goals by 2050, a challenging but essential endeavor for the future.
Frederic Chartier, Founding Partner, ChartierDalix, shows the audience the transformation of Tour Montparnasse, Paris.
The last session of the day, "The Future Lives of Past Skyscrapers," looked at innovations that enable 20th- and 21st-century towers to remain viable for the future. James Miles, Director, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, discussed several architectural projects that repositioned and reused existing buildings, including Tour First, in Courbevoie, a suburb of Paris, which involved a significant upgrade of a pre-existing tower. The project required the remodeling of existing modules, lowering one side, and transferring the volume to the other side. In another example, Miles shared his experience working on the Southbank Tower, in London, a 17th-century office building that was redesigned and extended with 11 additional floors and converted into a residential building with a mixed-use podium.
A compelling vision for redefining the concept of height in architecture was presented by Frederic Chartier, Founding Partner, ChartierDalix, who expounded on the Tour Montparnasse project, which aimed to transform the building's perception as a scar on Paris’ urban fabric to a desirable vertical stack of diverse functions. The transformation included adding terraces, a public garden, and a greenhouse to enhance the building's aesthetics and sustainability, as well as the incorporation of wind harvesting for natural ventilation—innovative approaches to environmental considerations.
Speakers answered questions from the audience following their presentations. (L to R): James Miles, Stefanie Lutteke, Florian Trosch, and Frederic Chartier.
Next, Stefanie Lutteke, Associate Partner and Head of Property Companies, Drees & Sommer, discussed the renovation of the Silver Tower, where the conference was being held. The project, initiated 12 years ago, aimed to modernize the office space and align with contemporary needs. The façade underwent a thorough refurbishment, including dismantling, cleaning, and improving the glass and thermal insulation before being reinstalled. Notably, the repurposed conference room at the top, where attendees were assembled, had originally been a swimming pool and housed the main water reservoir for the sprinkler system. The renovation resulted in a 30 percent reduction in electricity consumption, a 55 percent decrease in heating requirements, and a 35 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.
Florian Trosch, Head of Transit Management & Digital Solutions, Schindler, concluded the session with a presentation on Metacore, a concept and mobility solution for future-proofing cities, particularly in response to empty post-pandemic office spaces. Trosch emphasized the need for an efficient, sustainable, and, most importantly, flexible multi-modal mobility system that addresses the changing dynamics of office occupancy. Metacore was successfully implemented in the Omniturm tower (one of the off-site tours), showcasing the technology's potential for renovating existing buildings and providing a significantly higher degree of adaptability for changing needs. Speakers ended the session answering questions from the audience.
You can find more images from Friday, 23 June here.
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