Deutsche Post Tower Bonn, Germany

The headquarters of German postal network Deutsche Post World Net in Bonn combines the effectiveness of a lightweight steel structure with the beauty and versatility of glass architecture, providing what the project's architects refer to as 'a statement for a new way of building'. So central was the functionality of glass to the design of the building that over 47 different variations of Pilkington Optiwhite™ glass were used in its construction to striking effect.

The Post Tower in Bonn is a 163.5 metre high double tower, yet it still blends into its surroundings, acting as a gateway from the city to the Rhine and the nearby Siebengebirge hills. The remarkable building achieves this feat due to its 'shell' façade - constructed entirely from Pilkington Optiwhite™ glass and designed by architect Helmut Jahn - and its unusual 'transparent' structure of high-tensile stainless steel, designed by Professor Werner Sobek.

All the glass elements of the building were constructed entirely from Pilkington Optiwhite™ low iron-oxide white glass, chosen by the project's architects for its clean, colourless qualities, versatility and ecological benefits. Using Pilkington Optiwhite™, glass design engineers BGT Bischoff Glastechnik manufactured 47 different types of functional glass, with the structure of each type meeting exactly the specific requirements of each section of the building. These included thermally coated and gas-filled units for façade panels, sound reduction glass for internal partitions, solar protection coatings for overhead glazing and fire-resistant glass in the stairwells. The functional glazing also makes an important contribution to the eco-balance of the building, reducing typical energy consumption by around a third.

Deutsche Post World Net sees the new building as 'an outstanding feature of its new communication platform' and views its dominant use of glass as a symbol of openness, both outside and in. The building was also designed to have international impact, reflecting the increasingly global profile of the organisation.