A landmark building at the tip of the Osthafen basin and on the border between urban and industrial Frankfurt, together with the towers of the ECB, forms the new eastern gateway to the Main metropolis.
Between the urban, newly developing and lively Ostend district and the still industrial Osthafen district, an invited competition was held to find a striking architectural solution for a hotel and boarding house on a prominent site. The triangular site is located at the confluence of the harbor basin and the Main River at the tip of the pier head, faces the city, and is surrounded by water on two sides. Together with the towers of the ECB, the high-rise building marks the new eastern entrance to the city and is also the starting point for further urban development of the harbor area.
The design by holger meyer architektur develops a 12-story, prismatic structure on the site, which floats above a recessed, massive, two-story base. The base structure bundles the various path networks, reshaping the pier head and ending with a generous staircase at the tip of the pier. All arrival and departure functions are housed in the base. Additional dining options are also planned here.
The floors of the boarding house and hotel are stacked above the base in a cantilevered arrangement. A cut in the upper third of the structure divides the volume and makes the two functions visible from the outside. The facade picks up on the sculptural approach of the building and reinforces it with triangular, sculptural elements whose oxide red color references the shipping containers in the harbor. Cutting off the corners of the building and simultaneously "tilting" the facade elements creates a dynamic and powerful building shape that serves as a landmark for the entire neighborhood.
