3818
Global
Height rank

Post Turm

Bonn
Height 162.5 m / 533 ft
Floors 42
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Post Turm

Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.

Deutsche Post Tower

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed, 2002

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Germany

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Bonn

Postal Code

53113

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

office

Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.

Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.

composite

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

162.5 m / 533 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
162.5 m / 533 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
151.6 m / 497 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

42

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

5

# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.

450

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

19

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

107,000 m² / 1,151,738 ft²

Rankings
#
3818
Tallest in the World
#
142
Tallest in Europe
#
12
Tallest in Germany
#
1
Tallest in Bonn
#
1588
Tallest Office Building in the World
#
63
Tallest Office Building in Europe
#
11
Tallest Office Building in Germany
#
1
Tallest Office Building in Bonn
#
634
Tallest Composite Building in the World
#
21
Tallest Composite Building in Europe
#
3
Tallest Composite Building in Germany
#
1
Tallest Composite Building in Bonn
Construction Schedule
1997

Proposed

2000

Construction Start

2002

Completed

Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Cladding
Elevator
Sealants
Steel
Owner
Deutsche Post Bauen
Developer
Deutsche Post AG
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Architect of Record

Usually takes on the balance of the architectural effort not executed by the "Design Architect," typically responsible for the construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc. May often be referred to as "Executive," "Associate," or "Local" Architect, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Architect of Record" exclusively.

Heinle, Wischer und Partner
Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Brandi Consult GmbH
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

HOCHTIEF Construction AG Niederlassung Hamburg
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Cladding
Elevator
Schindler; Sematic S.r.l.
Sealants
Steel

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

10 Year Award 2014 Winner

2014 CTBUH Awards

CTBUH Initiatives

Werner Sobek Presents on Engineering High-Rises for Sustainable Cities

11 June 2013 - Conference Video

Jewelers Building Tour

17 December 2010 - Event

Videos

06 November 2014 | Bonn

CTBUH 13th Annual Awards Dinner

The 13th Annual Awards Ceremony & Dinner was held in Mies van der Rohe's iconic Crown Hall, on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, Chicago....

Research

29 July 2019

Wind Effects on Permeable Tall Building Envelopes: Issues and Potentialities

Andrea Giachetti, University of Florence; Gianni Bartoli, University of Florence; Claudio Mannini, University of Florence

A comprehensive conclusion about the effects of wind on permeable building envelopes (PBEs) remains elusive. The external layer permeability, the gap width, and the internal...

About Post Turm

Deutsche Post DHL’s Bonn headquarters is an expression of the company’s confidence in progress and in technology to improve the work environment. The architect’s aim was to create a forward-looking high-rise for the 21st century: formally, technically, and ecologically advanced, and offering a high quality work environment.

The Post Tower demonstrates the potential for technically integrated buildings to deliver high performance. From the onset of planning, the client expressed a strong desire to give all office staff direct access to the outside air and natural light. Combining these factors lead the design team to develop the twin-shell façade and split-building typology that embraces natural ventilation and green energy sources.

The Post Tower uses natural ventilation and decentralized cooling/heating systems to reduce the mechanical load, and consequently energy consumption, while improving floor-plate efficiency and eliminating mechanical shafts and ceiling ducts. This allows the tower to consume only 75 kWh/m2 (measured through 2003), which represents a 79 percent energy reduction when compared to a typical air-conditioned building. Only 3 kWh/m2 are used for cooling, and the energy used for heating is drastically reduced compared to the benchmark building. The savings on energy usage and central air-conditioning system equipment and space offset the additional investment in the façade.

The Tower’s form consists of two, offset elliptical segments separated from each other by a 7.2 meter wide atrium that faces west towards the City of Bonn, and east towards the Rhine River. The atrium runs the full height of the Tower, incorporating the glazed passenger elevators, and it is divided into four parts by sky gardens; three are nine stories high and the top one is eleven. In each elliptical segment, cellular offices wrap around the perimeter, with conference rooms and core functions located towards the atrium. The two main façades of the high-rise face north and south, while the sky garden façades have east and west orientations. By orienting the building in the primary wind direction, the wind profile was optimized, both for structural efficiency and natural ventilation.

Outside air enters the building through the twin-shell façade, flows through the offices and into the corridors, which act as horizontal exhaust air collectors, ultimately venting the exhaust air into the atrium. Using the stack effect, the exhaust air in the atrium is then vented through operable windows located high in the façade of each nine-story atrium, with low-level vents added to assist the natural airflow.

The façade consists of the outer single glazed façade, operable sunshades and an inner façade of floor- to-ceiling insulated glazing. The horizontal continuity of the façade and its aerodynamic shape allow it to dissipate the pressure differences across the faces of the building, enabling natural ventilation to take place without a draft.

The outer facade is hung in nine-story increments from extruded stainless steel mullions, and braced horizontally at every floor with wind needles. The south façade features sloped glass panes, allowing air-intake and exhaust at the bottom of each panel. The north facade is a smooth plane with alternating ventilation flaps.

The inner façade is a floor-to-ceiling aluminum curtain wall with insulated glazing. Motorized, operable windows are located in every other façade module. During spring and fall, these windows serve to naturally ventilate the offices, substantially reducing the building’s reliance on mechanical conditioning. After working hours, the windows are centrally opened to provide night flushing of the tower with cool air.

Each employee can manually alter the internal environment according to individual preferences using a touch-screen, allowing individual control of the blinds, lighting levels, operable windows, and internal temperatures.

The design of the Post Tower opened up new possibilities for the work environment, promoting interaction and communication, and delivering flexible spaces that can accommodate new layouts and technologies.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

10 Year Award 2014 Winner

2014 CTBUH Awards

06 November 2014 | Bonn

CTBUH 13th Annual Awards Dinner

The 13th Annual Awards Ceremony & Dinner was held in Mies van der Rohe's iconic Crown Hall, on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, Chicago....

06 November 2014 | Bonn

Interview: The Post Tower

Thursday 6th November 2014. Chicago, IL. Helmut Jahn, JAHN, is interviewed by Chris Bentley regarding the Tall Building 10 Year Award winner, the Post Tower,...

06 November 2014 | Bonn

Tall Building 10 Year Award: Of Split Volumes and Double Skins: The Post Tower

Deutsche Post DHL’s Bonn headquarters is an expression of the company’s confidence in progress and in technology to improve the work environment. The architect’s aim...

11 June 2013 | Bonn

Beyond Green – Engineering High-Rises for Sustainable Cities

High-rise buildings make an important contribution in the design of sustainable cities – provided they are planned accordingly and with a holistic perspective. In this...

18 October 2012 | Bonn

Interview: Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award

Helmut Jahn, Founding Principal of Murphy/Jahn Architects, has been widely recognized for his subtle yet pervasive impact on modern architecture. He has been awarded the...

03 March 2008 | Bonn

Natural Ventilation of Tall Buildings – Options and Limitations

Brian Ford from the University of Nottingham presented the basic principles and strategic options for natural ventilation of tall buildings, and referred to prominent examples...

29 July 2019

Wind Effects on Permeable Tall Building Envelopes: Issues and Potentialities

Andrea Giachetti, University of Florence; Gianni Bartoli, University of Florence; Claudio Mannini, University of Florence

A comprehensive conclusion about the effects of wind on permeable building envelopes (PBEs) remains elusive. The external layer permeability, the gap width, and the internal...

10 October 2011

Lightness

Francisco J. Gonzalez-Pulido, Murphy Jahn

This presentation will focus in the aspects of our practice that deal with the issues that we consider relevant for the future of design and...

26 February 2001

Two Towers

Phil Castillo, JAHN

This paper studies the two towers, Duetsche Post in Bonn and the MAX in Frankfurt, and how they rethink the typology of the high-rise tower...

11 June 2013

Werner Sobek Presents on Engineering High-Rises for Sustainable Cities

High-rise buildings make an important contribution in the design of sustainable cities – provided they are planned accordingly and with a holistic perspective. In this context, the design of structural systems and façades make a vital contribution. In this presentation, from one of the world’s most distinguished engineers, we see selected research and completed projects demonstrating how we can not only use significantly less materials and energy, but also achieve a considerable rise in user comfort and functionality through innovative design concepts. The resulting buildings are truly sustainable – especially when taking into consideration their whole life-cycle.

17 December 2010

Jewelers Building Tour

The CTBUH participated in an exciting tour of Chicago's historic Jewelers Building situated along the Chicago River.