Frank Gehry Chosen to Design Berlin’s Tallest Tower

Gehry Partners has been selected over David Chipperfield, Adjaye Associates and seven other practices in an invited competition for a 300-unit residential tower in Berlin. The winning proposal, deemed “the most compelling” by jury for its rotating stacks of sculptural, stone-clad cubes that rise up to 150 meters, is expected to be Berlin’s tallest skyscraper and Germany’s tallest residential tower.

“Gehry’s design is strong in visual expression and introduces an unusually eccentric, new pattern for this location. Nevertheless, the façade radiates agreeable tranquility. In addition, the design blends well with the neighborhood and conveys all aspects of metropolitan living,” commented Regula Lüscher, Senate Building Director.

The majority of the Hines-developed, 500,000 square foot structure will be dedicated to a mixture of apartments and penthouses, however a portion of the tower will be used as a hotel.

This will be Gehry’s third project with the real estate giant, as the pair also collaborated on the Hines’ DZ Bank in Berlin and the New World Center in Miami Beach, Florida.

Gehry’s design is currently on view alongside the competition’s second and third place proposal, by Kleihues + Kleihues Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH and Barkow Leibinger Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH, in a public exhibit at the annex to the Lichthof at Köllnischer Park 3, 10179 Berlin, through February 12, 2014.

Reference: Hines