ECB and Coop Himmelb(l)au sign contract to launch optimisation phase of new ECB premises

Lucas Papademos, Vice-President of the European Central Bank (ECB), and Wolf Prix, Senior Architect at COOP HIMMELB(L)AU in Vienna, today signed the architectural contract for the optimisation phase of the new ECB premises in Frankfurt am Main.

The Governing Council decided to conduct an optimisation phase when it chose COOP HIMMELB(L)AU to design the ECB’s new premises in January this year. In cooperation with the ECB, the architects will now review their design, taking into account the revised functional and spatial requirements, in order to ensure optimal use of resources and to reduce costs. In parallel, the ECB will work closely with the Frankfurt authorities to integrate the Grossmarkthalle site into the city’s infrastructure.

The Governing Council is expected to assess the results of this phase at the beginning of 2006.

Further details of the new ECB premises, including pictures of the signing ceremony, are available at http://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/premises.