Deutsche Bank has been awarded a preliminary certificate in gold from the German Sustainable Building Council for the renovation of its towers in Frankfurt. The preliminary certifications is presented for exemplary sustainable buildings that are still in the planning or construction phases.

“With the certification of our ‘greentowers’ in Frankfurt, we want to demonstrate in an exemplary way the potential for optimisation and sustainable energy efficiency for existing buildings, toom” said Holger Hagge, global head of Building and Workplace Development, Corporate Real Estate & Services, Deutsche Bank.

The greentowers project is one of Deutsche Bank’s first pilot projects.

In addition to the certification by DGNB, Deutsche Bank is also aiming for an LEED Platinum certificate issued by the US Green Building Council.

The modernisation of Deutsche Bank’s prominent Taunusanlage building complex in Frankfurt is aimed at reducing the buildings’ energy consumption and CO2 emissions by at least 50 per cent. The renovation of the greentowers was launched in December 2007, and the move back into the building should be completed before the end of 2010.

As designed by Milanese architect Mario Bellini, the building will feature a newly designed foyer, larger conference rooms and flexible office space. Through the planned public accessibility of the Art Café in the base of the towers facing Alter Oper and a more attractive open space in front of the building, the bank will be opened up to the public and have an improved integration in the public space.

The renovation is part of a series of measures Deutsche Bank is taking in an effort to neutralise the CO2 emissions of worldwide operations by 2013.

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