Europaturm

The Europaturm stands in Frankfurt’s Bockenheim district as a 337.5-metre telecommunications tower. Its wide concrete base spreads 59 metres across, the broadest of any similar structure worldwide. The architect Erwin Heinle designed the tower, which construction began in 1974 and finished five years later. At 331 metres it became Germany’s second tallest structure after Berlin’s Fernsehturm. Even without the antenna it reaches 295 metres, making it the tallest by roof height in the country. The tower’s rotating top once offered panoramic views and housed a restaurant and discothèque until 1999. A six-ton antenna was lifted in two parts by helicopter in 2004 to increase its height. The new antenna lets the tower broadcast high-definition digital television using the DVB-T standard. It can send twenty-four channels at 100 kilowatts each and also relays satellite broadcasts. T-Systems, a Deutsche Telekom subsidiary, owns and operates the tower, lighting it magenta at night. Locals call the Europaturm the ‘Ginnemer Spaschel’ or simply the Fernsehturm. A small elevator company has used it since around 2002 for testing lifts. The tower’s size and rotating section make it a distinctive landmark above the Rhine Main area. Its thick base and sleek shaft create a striking profile against the skyline. Though closed to visitors, its role in broadcasting and testing keeps it central to the city’s infrastructure.