What’s it like to work in a skyscraper?
Frankfurt is Germany’s financial capital and the city’s tall buildings are home to many large financial institutions. BBC Culture finds out what it’s like to work in one.
The skyscrapers clustered around the River Main in Frankfurt have earned the city the nickname ‘Mainhattan’. Frankfurt is Germany’s financial capital and these glass and steel towers are home to many of the country’s biggest banks.
At 208 m (682 ft), the Westend Tower is the city’s third tallest building and is the headquarters of the DZ Bank. Architect William Pederson’s design recalls the city’s history with a distinctive crown that caps the building and faces toward Frankfurt Cathedral, which was the coronation place of the Holy Roman Emperor from the 16th to the 18th Centuries.
Robin Hawthorn has been the receptionist of the DZ Bank for 38 years. He gives BBC Culture an insight into the working life of the Westend Tower, where thousands of people come and go every day.
Watch the other episodes of High Life:
Imagining the cities of the future
The world’s most terrifying view?
How do you build a skyscraper?
BBC Culture is a media partner of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, which runs from 3 October 2015 – 3 January 2016.
Throughout October and November we will look at the work of some of the world’s most exciting architects and examine how buildings shape our lives. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest from Chicago.
