- Is the restaurant in the TV tower coming back?
Restaurant and disco in the pulpit of Frankfurt's TV tower could theoretically reopen - but in practice, it would be quite expensive. That's the view of the owner of the tower, built in the 1970s, the company DFMG Deutsche Funkturm GmbH. After the closure of the tourist attraction at the end of the 1990s, there had been discussions about reopening a few years ago.
A gastronomic use would be "expensive but possible," said company spokesman Benedikt Albers to the German Press Agency. There are also efforts in Hamburg and Dresden to revive the gastronomy. "The interest is there. In recent years, we have received more and more inquiries from the public and ideas for events."
It needs a fire service elevator
"The big challenge is fire protection," explained Albers. Among other things, there must be two separate escape routes. In addition to the staircase with around 1000 steps, at least one of the two shafts would have to be equipped with a fire service elevator.
This is possible, "but this initial investment kills any business plan," said Albers. "Without public funds, it won't work." In Dresden and Hamburg, the federal government, the state, and the city would share the costs. "This model could be transferred to Frankfurt."
However, the renovation in Frankfurt would probably be more expensive because the tower is higher and the area is larger. The other two cities are calculating costs of 25 and 37.5 million euros respectively. "So it depends on the public hand to create the framework conditions so that an investor can then enter."
Despite the discussions, reopening the disco from the past in the Frankfurt TV tower could potentially be a costly venture. Even in Hamburg and Dresden, where similar projects are under consideration, substantial investments in fire protection measures are required to make such a venture financially viable.
