The skylines of Europe’s cities include some iconic historical buildings, from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to London’s Big Ben, but certain cities are jam-packed with ultra-modern skyscrapers too. A whopping 66 percent of skyscrapers built in Europe are in just five cities, including London, Paris, Istanbul and Moscow, according to the Express.
But Frankfurt, the fifth city, is undergoing something of an architectural renaissance, and a whopping 50 new skyscrapers are on the cards for the German hub. Yep, 50.
The collection of new skyscrapers includes FOUR Frankfurt, a £856 million development of four towers which should be completed this year, and have all been designed to face away from each other to maximise the views from inside. The tallest of these will be 233 metres high, and all will include a mish-mash of offices, apartments, hotels, shops and restaurants.
Construction on Millennium Tower, which will stretch 288 metres above the streets and become Germany’s tallest building, is scheduled to begin in 2025. Frankfurt is actually home to 95 percent of Germany’s skyscrapers, largely because it’s surrounded by a ‘green belt’ – the only way (for new developments) is up!
So, why is so much building going ahead? Well, there’s something of a Brexit Building Boom going on, as the city attempts to lure financial institutions away from London. It’s already home to two of the world’s largest central banks (Deutsche Bundesbank and European Central Bank), and forty major firms have relocated to Frankfurt since the UK left the EU.
But don’t worry, Frankfurt isn’t just turning into a massive financial district. With projects such as FOUR, there’s clearly an effort to meld the various zones of the city together by blurring the lines between cultural, residential and commercial spaces, according to BNN.
And the city has plenty to see. You can take a look at our top picks of the best things to do, the can’t-miss attractions, and the perfect 48-hour itinerary on our Frankfurt hub.
Planning a road trip? Here are the very best things to do in Germany.
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Plus: This European city has been named best in the world for expats.
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