Main Administration Building Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf

With the conversion and revitalisation of the head office for the Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf, a new type of property was created: The "Finanzkaufhaus".

The existing high-rise, built in 1964 by Friedrich Wilhelm Krämer and Heinrich Roskotten, was given a new double-skin glass facade as well as three additional floors. The high-rise was stripped down to its supporting structure and instead of the brown spandrel panels, floor-to-ceiling clear glass windows set in thin aluminium profiles were installed. The windows can now be opened behind the storey-high double facade. The interiors are dominated by silver, grey, green and red tones. In the high-rise building, individual offices were arranged in a U-shape around a group room.

The urban integration and communication in the building were significantly improved by public spaces and internal connecting axes. The glass atrium planted with large olive trees and the glass cube on Steinstraße create high qualities. A free-standing glass screen along the entire length of the site along Berliner Allee provides a view of a transparent "banking landscape". Portraits of Düsseldorf citizens, photographed by the artist Beat Streuli, were applied to the facade glass as translucent foils. This screen keeps out traffic noise, complements the solitaire to form a glass perimeter block and binds all parts of the building together.