Changes on the city skyline
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Mahan Rykiel Associates, Inc. (MRA), a Baltimore-based firm celebrated the opening of Skyline Plaza in Frankfurt, Germany. Skyline Plaza is a 409,000 sq ft retail centre in the heart of Frankfurt’s new convention centre district. Skyline Plaza’s rooftop brings a variety of activities to Frankfurt’s newest shopping destination.
The rooftop is more than one and a half times the size of an American football field and will offer something for everyone from yoga to playgrounds for the kids, and even a vineyard. There are a wealth of possibilities to discover, including a large chess board, table tennis, table football, petanque (boules) field, putting green and a performance stage for events. Two restaurants also offer unparalleled views of downtown Frankfurt and Europa Boulevard.
The concept incorporates a strong axial vocabulary, contrasting the curving, undulating lines of the architecture. A meandering path weaves larges spaces for active play with intimate gardens. A broad promenade links the elevator lobby with the restaurant terraces and the play spaces. Irrigation for Skyline Garden is completed using rainwater collected in a 70,000-gallon cistern – a third of the capacity of an Olympic swimming pool. Plant selection, irrigation and stormwater management techniques will greatly reduce the runoff created by this new urban district, and the project was awarded the gold precertificate by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).
Skyline Plaza will be the heart of Frankfurt’s new ‘Europaviertel’ district, an urban gathering space for an estimated 30,000 workers and 10,000 residents. Nearly 180 specialty stores, service companies, and restaurants will be located in this shopping centre. Set against the backdrop of the Frankfurt skyline, the Skyline Garden will serve as a location for varied passive and active events, and will become a year-round attraction. “It was an incredible experience to work with the client’s dedicated team, who took this enormous project from concepts through construction in six months, an unprecedented schedule for us,” said Richard Jones, President of Mahan Rykiel.
MAHAN RYKIEL ASSOCIATES, INC.