City-Haus, High-rise building in Westend district, Frankfurt, Germany.
City-Haus is a high-rise tower in Frankfurt's Westend district with 42 floors rising to 142.1 meters tall. The building features a clear rectangular shape and houses offices, primarily serving as a corporate headquarters.
The building was completed in 1974 during Frankfurt's post-war reconstruction era and was originally called Selmi-Hochhaus. It later became headquarters for the DZ Bank group and has remained a fixture in the city's skyline.
The tower is known as Selmi-Hochhaus after Ali Selmi, the Persian developer who commissioned it. During the 1973 fire, onlookers cheered and students sang mocking songs such as "Heute verbrennen wir dem Selmi sein klein Häuschen". The blaze led to modern high-rise fire protection in Germany and launched the career of fire chief Ernst Achilles.
The building sits in the Westend area with easy access to public transportation and parking options nearby. The surrounding neighborhood offers shops, restaurants, and other amenities for visitors exploring the district.
During the 2007–2008 refurbishment by Christoph Mäckler, the new façade was hung outside the old one during the week, and the old façade was removed only at weekends, keeping disruption to tenants low. The new skin cut the building's energy use by about 35 percent; the work cost 53 million euros.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,622 contributors worldwide.
