Double-skin façade with folding aluminium rods define Allmannwappner’s striking new tower in Berlin

German architecture firm Allmannwappner has completed a 21-story tower in Berlin's new Europacity district near the central train station, fully leased to KPMG, the global accounting firm. The tower boasts a unique double-skin facade featuring an outer layer of folding aluminium rods that vary in depth across its surface. Situated on Europaplatz Square, the building complements its neighbouring towers—Tour Total and 50 Hertz—designed by Barkow Leibinger and LOVE Architecture + Urbanism, respectively, both of which showcase concrete-clad exteriors.

Allmannwappner incorporated a double-skin facade into the building's design to enhance thermal performance and noise insulation. The prefabricated modules, constructed off-site, include an outer layer of aluminium condensing rods and two glazing layers. On the lower floors, the aluminium rods are arranged in a bold, folded geometry, creating a dramatic effect that gradually flattens as the structure ascends. As the rods grow closer together at higher levels, the facade panels maintain a seamless alignment from top to bottom, achieved through advanced computational tools like Rhino and Grasshopper.

The architects initially explored fibre cement and ceramic rods for the tower facade but ultimately selected aluminium for its durability and lightweight. They designed a gridded facade that harmonizes with the neighbouring Barkow Leibinger tower, which features a grid of windows framed by precast concrete. Rising prominently on Europaplatz, this high-rise is the first structure commuters see as they exit Berlin's Hauptbahnhof, serving as an iconic landmark for the broader Europacity development.