Düsseldorf Tower, built by London-based Alsop Architects (www.alsoparchitects.com), is the latest uprising along a booming stretch of the Rhine known as Media Harbor - so-called because TV, telecom, and advertising companies now dominate the German city's riverside district. While the office building rises well above its neighbors to just over 203 feet, its true mark of distinction is a multicolored patchwork of 2,500 intricately designed glass panels, each created through a complex screen-printing and kiln process. Company founder Will Alsop also colored up the skyscraper's vertical line with a red glass roof whose dramatic frontispiece sticks out almost 33 feet over the water and emits a glow that's visible throughout the city at night. The building opens for tenants this summer, but will soon face some high-profile rental competition - structures created by renowned architects Fumihiko Maki and Jo Coenen are set for completion by the end of next year. A Frank Gehry design is already across the way.
ELECTRIC WORD
Convertible Goop
Patchwerk
Art and Artery
Mother Lode
Algae-Aid
Monomania
