Haus am Dom

The location could not be more prominent: Werner Hebebrand (1899-1966) built Frankfurt's main customs office right next to St. Bartholomew's Cathedral – at the time a radically modern building in the New Objectivity style in the very heart of the old town. Critics railed against Hebebrand's plans and demanded changes. For example, instead of the flat roof typical of many New Frankfurt buildings, a steep and slightly curved pitched roof was created. The hail of bombs during the Second World War hit Frankfurt's old town with full force, but important parts of the building, which is now used by the Catholic Church for events and exhibitions as the Haus am Dom, have been preserved. These include the three-aisled customs hall on the second floor and the staircase with its striking over-corner glazing, which is reminiscent of the Bauhaus style.
By the way, today's Haus am Dom is part of two of Germany's largest urban development projects: 75 years after the New Frankfurt came the New Old Town project in 2001, in which the architects Jourdan & Müller Steinhausen redesigned the building with great sensitivity.