Mixed usage consisting of offices, flats and retail in newly constructed high-rise buildings are intended to revitalise Frankfurt's central business district (CBD). One example is FOUR on the former Deutsche Bank site on Junghofstrasse. „We want to open up the neighbourhood,“ Jens Hausmann, Managing Director of property developer Groß & Partner, recently told the press in Frankfurt.

To this end, four towers have been erected on 16,000 square metres: In two towers, there are around 600 flats over more than 60,000 square metres: In tower T2 there are 78 subsidised rental flats (up to the 9th floor), above that 277 privately financed rental flats and in tower T3 240 condominiums, of which almost 80% have already been sold, according to Hausmann. More than 75% of the approximately 100,000 square metres of office space in T1 and T4 have been rented out. „These two towers have already been sold and handed over to an investor.“ Groß & Partner plans to complete the entire FOUR complex in the first half of 2026.

For the Managing Director of the project developer, the building complex is a pioneering example of how office-dominated city centres can be filled with life again outside of office hours. „Even during the construction phase, we are signalling with interim uses and pop-up stores: it's going to be exciting here.“

The concept includes two large squares with around 4,500 square metres that can be used by the public. A 1,000 square metre roof garden is also available to the general public. A company kindergarten with 50 to 60 places is planned. The luxury hotel Kimpton (Interconti) has already opened at Junghofstrasse 7.

The food hall („District Market“) has already been let to the world's largest company caterer, the Compass Group. „This allowed us to dispense with company restaurants and provide more office space,“ says Hausmann, explaining the concept. On almost 4,000 square metres, there will be 14 stands (vendors) with well-known Frankfurt restaurateurs, but also new international concepts for the city. There will also be a fully-fledged restaurant directly connected to T1 and a cookery school. They will be in operation throughout the week, and should therefore also be a centre of attraction in the evenings and at weekends.

Manuel Backfisch, Head of Capital Markets Frankfurt at real estate agent Colliers, notes high demand for office space in Frankfurt's CBD – as demonstrated by the high letting turnover in the first quarter. „We are expecting more than 500,000 square metres of take-up for the year as a whole. That would be above the ten-year average,“ said Backfisch. Against the backdrop of the return from home office being demanded by companies, there is a „flight to quality“, meaning that offices need to become more attractive, particularly in terms of facilities and transport links.

The Frankfurt investment market remains in the doldrums. However, the Colliers manager sees clear signs that this will soon change. „Anglo-Saxon capital in particular is looking for investment opportunities", he says. This is demonstrated not least by a forward deal that has just been concluded for twelve months.

Outdated offices or those in unattractive secondary locations can be converted into flats. Alexander Lackner, Managing Director of asset manager Neworld, which was founded in 2018, points to the building complex of an old GDR ministry in Berlin-Pankow, which now offers co-living spaces as „The Base“, as an example. This could avoid „grey emissions' from demolition and new construction. However, Lackner also admits that "there will be an increasing number of empty and abandoned office properties – especially in peripheral locations.“