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Where heritage meets high-rise Press release Doka GmbH Central Business Tower, Frankfurt Where heritage meets high-rise Amstetten, October 2026 | Rising to 205 metres, the Central Business Tower combines contemporary high-rise architecture with a listed building dating back more than 130 years. With space on the inner-city site extremely limited, general contractor ZÜBLIN turned to Doka for a formwork solution designed to support a one-floor-per-week construction cycle. As Germany’s financial capital and home to the European Central Bank, Frankfurt has one of Europe’s most distinctive high-rise skylines. Now, another landmark is taking shape: the Central Business Tower (CBT), which will become Germany’s fifth-tallest building upon completion. Designed by KSP Engel for Helaba, the tower integrates the listed façade of a historic bank building dating from 1889–1892. The project is being delivered by ZÜBLIN in a joint venture with Dobler Metallbau GmbH, with Doka providing the engineering and formwork expertise to support the demanding construction cycle. Neo Renaissance meets Corporate Modernism The striking glass high-rise incorporates the listed, more than 130-year-old historic building at its base. As part of the redevelopment, its concrete core was renewed after the historic sandstone façade and former banking hall (rotunda) had been carefully dismantled and restored. The tower itself comprises three high-rise cores. The north and south cores climb ahead, allowing the walls and slabs of the central core to follow between them. For the formwork, Doka’s Platform SCP is combined with loading platforms that supply the site team with materials that cannot be stored on the slabs. Powerful hydraulic cylinders lift the platform, formwork and material containers to the next casting section in a single operation. By keeping materials closer to where they are needed, the solution reduces crane demand and contributed to maintaining the planned one-floor-per-week cycle. The east and west façades each feature three vertical setbacks. At levels 16, 29 and 41, the tower narrows by several metres, gradually revealing more of the light-filled central core. To ensure safe working conditions while constructing the slab edges, the Protection screen Xclimb 60 units in these areas are supported by a bracing structure. The layout of the protection screen elements was planned from the outset so they can step back precisely with the façade at each setback. Limited space calls for close coordination Another challenge was the extremely limited space available on site. “As you can imagine, in the middle of Frankfurt’s city centre, there is very little space for storage and assembly, ” says Tillmann Walz, Site Manager at ZÜBLIN. “That’s why we coordinated closely with Doka to ensure that formwork materials were delivered just in time and could be put to use quickly. This significantly eased our on-site material logistics.” Precision by design with Revit With three high-rise cores being constructed in parallel, formwork planning for the Central Business Tower was particularly demanding. Due to the complex beam and folding mechanisms, Doka engineers modelled the wall formwork in Revit. The precise sequence of the folding mechanisms was critical to avoid obstructions, while custom steel components were modelled to ensure that the formwork elements could be connected precisely and stripped without collisions. The Revit model also provided the basis for planning formwork operations and the climbing sequence on site. Sustainability is another key consideration for the project, which is targeting LEED Platinum certification, the highest rating under the international LEED standard. Planned measures include integrating photovoltaic panels into the glass-and-metal façade – a first for Frankfurt’s financial district. The Central Business Tower is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in 2028. * In short: • Project: Central Business Tower • Location: Frankfurt, Germany • Type of Structure: 205 m High-rise • Architects: KSP ENGEL • Client: Helaba • Construction: Joint Venture Züblin + Dobler Metallbau • Completion period: 2021–2028 • Doka systems used: Platform SCP, Protection screen Xclimb 60, Large-area formwork Top 50, Framax Xlife, Doka Loading platform • Doka services: 3D planning, site supervision, pre-assembly Images Please include the copyright notice when publishing these images. Once completed, the 205-meter CBT will overtake it to become Germany’s fifth-tallest high-rise. Copyright: © Doka The Central Business Tower integrates the more than 130-year-old historic building at its base. Rising at a one-floor-per-week cycle, construction is supported by Doka’s self-climbing Super Climber SCP platform. Copyright: © Helaba, KSP ENGEL, Rendertaxi (rendering) / © Doka (construction photo) The north and south cores of the Central Business Tower climb ahead, with the central core following slightly behind. Copyright: © Doka About Doka: Doka is a world leader in providing innovative formwork, solutions and services in all areas of construction. The company is also a global supplier of well-thought-out scaffolding solutions for a varied spectrum of applications. With more than 150 sales and logistics facilities in 54 countries, Doka has a high-performing distribution network for advice, customer service and technical support on the spot and ensures that equipment is swiftly provided – no matter how big and complex the project. Doka employs 8.400 people worldwide and is a company of the Umdasch Group, which has stood for reliability, experience and trustworthiness for more than 150 years. As a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, Doka adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. Press contact Clemens Oelmann External Communication Doka GmbH M +43 664 88384320 clemens.oelmann@doka.com | www.doka.co |
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