ECB presents outcome of the detailed planning phase of its new premises

Today the European Central Bank (ECB) presented the outcome of the detailed planning phase for its new premises. This design will be submitted to the relevant authorities of the City of Frankfurt in order to obtain the building permission.

The ECB intends to submit the request for building permission to the city authorities by the end of October 2007, with the aim of starting construction work in the first quarter of 2008.

In the detailed planning phase, the design for the New ECB Premises was developed further.

The advance integration into the planning process of all the different authorities involved in the issuance of the building permit was essential.

Onsite analyses of original building elements and materials of the Grossmarkthalle were conducted with a view to developing appropriate methods of restoration.

The specifics of the construction envisaged inside the Grossmarkthalle were elaborated in further detail, especially with regard to fire and safety requirements, as well as the structural elements of the functional areas within the hall.

The overall concept for the interior, including the materials and surfaces, were defined. Sample installations were built to test the functionality, as well as the quality, of the materials chosen for the main building elements.

Finalisation of the New ECB Premises is foreseen for the end of 2011.

Further information on, and images of, the New ECB Premises project can be found on the ECB’s website at www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/premises.