Bahntower
26-story, 103 m (338 ft) skyscraper on the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bahntower (English: Railway Tower), also written as BahnTower and Bahn-Tower, is a 26-story, 103-metre (338 ft) skyscraper on the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany. Built between 1998 and 2000, the Bahntower provides 22,000 m2 (240,000 sq ft)[1] of office space for the headquarters of Deutsche Bahn (English: German Railway). It is the sixth-tallest building in Berlin and the sixty-fourth tallest building in Germany.
| Bahntower | |
|---|---|
Bahntower in 2014 | |
 Interactive map of the Bahntower area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Location | Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany |
| Coordinates | 52°30′35″N 13°22′30″E |
| Construction started | 1998 |
| Opening | 2000 |
| Owner | Morgan Stanley |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 103 m (338 ft) |
| Roof | 94 m (308 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 26 |
| Floor area | 22,000 m2 (240,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Helmut Jahn |
| Developer | Deutsche Bahn |
| Main contractor | Hochtief AG |
History
In 2007 and 2008, it was reported that small pieces of glass had fallen onto the street from cracks in the façade. This was followed by a near-fatal incident in 2016 in which a pane of glass measuring 30 by 150 cm (1 by 5 ft) fell onto a car on the street below.[2]
The original owner of the skyscraper was Sony as part of the wider Sony Center. In February 2008, Morgan Stanley and others bought the Sony Center with the tower for €600 million.[3][4] In 2007, Deutsche Bahn had planned to move to a new headquarters built by Danish company 3XN outside the Berlin Hauptbahnhof,[5] although this fell through and Deutsche Bahn extended its Bahntower contract.[4][6]
When Morgan Stanley's real estate funds came into difficulties they sold their stake to South Korea's National Pension Service in 2010.[7]
In 2016, the Bahntower was featured in the Berlin skyline scene, which is part of the Lego Architecture series.
