Bonn-Center, Demolished business complex in Gronau, Bonn, Germany
The Bonn-Center was a reinforced-concrete complex on a triangular plot of about 16,000 m², consisting of an 18-storey tower and a five-storey side wing. Its facade of precast panels was painted in a broken white tone after a 1989 renovation. The tower had a central entrance hall where the former hotel reception had been.
The building opened in November 1969 and became a landmark of modern development in Bonn during its period as capital of West Germany. It shaped the city's skyline for nearly five decades before demolition in 2017.
The building served as a meeting place for international visitors and business professionals who used its hotel, conference facilities, and offices. It represented Bonn's status as a governmental center and drew people from around the world.
The complex stood on a triangular plot of about 16,000 m² at the junction of Bundesstraße 9 and Reuterstraße, next to the federal district. The site is now occupied by the Neuer Kanzlerplatz quarter, completed in 2022, so the original building can no longer be visited.
The Bonn-Center's rooftop restaurant, the Ambassador, sat on the top floor and was known as a meeting place for leading politicians. Below ground, a "Forum" in the basement of the shopping arcade was meant for cultural events; in 1987 the Pantheon theatre moved into that space, and a second Pantheon stage opened in the former Steigenberger casino cellars in 2012.
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