The client in the project is the city of Frankfurt am Main, which has invested in total around EUR 186 million in the quarter. DomRömer GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the city established in 2009 especially for the project, is responsible for the development, planning and realization of the old city quarter. In addition to the residential units already completed, three museums as well as cafés, high-class restaurants and shops are now being built on the approximately 7,000 square-meter area occupied by the former ‘technical’ city hall (Technisches Rathaus) building.
Large Number of Project Stakeholders Calls for High Level of Transparency
Construction work on the DomRömer Quarter began in 2014. Drees & Sommer oversaw the design of the area as part of its project management service. In addition to working with and coordinating a large number of project stakeholders – more than 100 companies were involved in the construction – another challenge was refurbishing existing buildings. For instance, the retention of the public underground parking lot required an innovative approach. With an area of around 20,000 square meters and 610 parking spaces, it offers room for the technical utilities and basements of the houses in the old city quarter.
Dietmar Zwipp, Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer SE‚ explained: ‘With a project of this size and complexity, it is crucial that the many individual activities be well coordinated. The success of a project depends on good organization.’
Authentic City Quarter a Reminder of Times Past
After the fitout of the commercial space, the DomRömer Quarter will be officially inaugurated in September 2018 with a big street party. Members of the public have shown much interest, particularly in the rebuilt old city quarter. They contributed suggestions on the design right at the start of the project at a joint ideas and planning workshop. Michael Guntersdorf, CEO of DomRömer GmbH, commented: ‘We are happy to have been able to restore part of the historic face of Frankfurt, which was formerly the largest Medieval old town in Germany. With Drees & Sommer, we had an expert partner at hand to implement this extremely complex project within the budget and on schedule.’ Some historic facade elements that survived the war have been incorporated into the new facades, giving the 35 houses in the old city an authentic look. Further historical finds from the city are on display in the Archeological Garden in the Stadthaus am Markt, which forms the southern boundary to the quarter.