Visiting the Hardtbergturm observation tower offers a chance to escape daily life, clear your mind, and enjoy panoramic views from 26.6 meters above the treetops. From here, you can admire castles in the Königstein, Kronberg, and Falkenstein regions, as well as the Feldberg and Altkönig mountains in the Taunus range. The tower also offers stunning sights over the plains along the Main River, the central Frankfurt area, and the airport. On clear days, the Black Forest is visible in the distance.
The tower is situated in Königstein Forest at an elevation of 409 meters, atop the Hardtberg urban area. It measures 8.95 meters in length, 5.95 meters in width, and reaches a maximum height of 32.3 meters. Its elliptical form is made entirely of steel, weighing approximately 80 tons. At the elliptical base, a plain concrete seating platform invites visitors to pause and rest.
The tower’s support structure is notable for its oblique pairs and intersecting cylindrical forms. The columns create a spatial framework that efficiently transfers the load from each floor down to the reinforced concrete foundation slab.
The observation tower features four exploration levels plus a top observation deck. This design not only allows visitors to enjoy distant views but also to learn about the local flora and fauna. Access to each floor is provided by five double-layered suspended staircases, each with a semi-circular platform at the tower’s center. The staircases alternate direction, ensuring visitors stop at each unique level during their ascent.
The combination of load-bearing steel trusses along the stair edges and platforms, steel plate railings on each floor, and integrated stainless steel handrails ensures safety and guidance for visitors climbing to the top. The visible staircases and numerous railings form a distinct architectural feature that signals the tower’s function as an observation point from afar.
Thanks to its elliptical layout, multiple exploration levels, intersecting staircases, and distinctive transparent external support structure, the tower creates a unique experiential space.
Its uniform silk grey coating further enhances its appearance, blending or contrasting with the sky depending on the weather.
Project Drawings
△ Base schematic diagram
△ Hand-drawn drawing
△ General layout plan
△ Plan view
△ Elevation drawing
△ Elevation drawing
△ Section diagram
Project Information
Architect: Wolfgang Ott Architekt BDA
Area: 250 m²
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Timon Ott
Manufacturers: Carl Stahl ARC, Rinn Beton, Willy Meyer + Sohn GmbH + Co. KG
Design, Detail Drawing, and Execution: Wolfgang and Leonie Ott
Steel Structure Engineer: Metallbau Konrad
Foundation: Alexander Pfaff
Landscape Design: Schiesser Gartengestaltung
Location: Königstein im Taunus, Germany
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