High-Rise Construction in Frankfurt - One Forty West - Timelapse Documentation
- MK timelapse
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
We documented the construction project for Commerz Real in timelapse - One Forty West, Frankfurt
An Overview of the Project
One Forty West is a striking new high-rise located next to the Frankfurt trade fair grounds, uniquely combining urban living, hotel use, and modern architecture. The project was realized by Commerz Real as part of their real estate strategy “hausInvest” and is considered one of the most outstanding high-rise developments in Frankfurt in recent years.
The building soars 145 meters high, has over 40 floors, and offers a total area of around 52,000 square meters. The lower floors house a hotel, while above are more than 180 exclusive condominiums, some with spectacular views of the Frankfurt skyline. The ensemble is complemented by publicly accessible areas, gastronomy, and a distinctive twisted facade design that gives the building its iconic silhouette.
One Forty West is situated exactly at the intersection between the densely built banking district and the green, quiet Westend, marking a significant urban transition.
The City and Its Skyscrapers
No other German city builds upwards as much as Frankfurt. With projects like One Forty West, Grand Tower, FOUR, and Omniturm, Frankfurt is continuously evolving into a vertical metropolis of residential and commercial spaces.
We at MK timelapse have been documenting this development with our cameras for years. Many of Frankfurt’s current and past high-rise projects have been or are being recorded by us from foundation to completion. This creates not only an impressive visual archive but also a cinematic time capsule of the city’s transformation.
Our Timelapse Technology
Our task at One Forty West was to document the entire construction process continuously over 36 months in high image quality for the client and to create a visually powerful timelapse film from the footage.
We used one of our proven MK V40 time-lapse camera systems. Equipped with a 40-megapixel sensor, a 100-degree field of view, and a capture interval of one image per minute, the system delivers razor-sharp footage with a high-quality, cinematic look.
Once installed, the system operates with low maintenance and high reliability - ideal for long-term projects like this.
The camera was mounted at a height of 159 meters on the roof of the neighboring Westend tower, which offered a perfect overview of the construction site. The attachment was made using one of our self-developed, and sturdy roof mounts, made from ITEM aluminum profiles. The mount is clamped onto the roof edge, without damaging the building structure, weather-resistant, and vibration-free.
This type of installation is daily practice for us - thoughtfully designed, safe, and built to perform reliably for years under wind, weather, and changing conditions.
In the case of One Forty West, the camera was able to run continuously - with minimal supervision and maximum reliability.
Systems
1x MK V40
Resolution
40 Megapixels
Interval
One image per minute
Field of View
100 Degrees
Highlights
Non-destructive clamping bracket for mounting at the roof edge
One Tower, One Film, One Piece of Urban History
The One Forty West tower is not only an architectural highlight but also a special cinematic project for our team. Over the entire construction period, impressive footage was captured featuring changing light, weather, and views of the continuously evolving site.
Especially the view over northern Frankfurt, with its neighborhoods, the TV tower, and the Taunus mountains in the background, offered exciting new perspectives year after year.
The resulting timelapse film condenses the construction of One Forty West into just a few minutes - detailed, atmospheric, and engaging. A special project we look back on with pride.
And it continued: Our camera remained in use after the project’s completion and was seamlessly repurposed for the neighboring Senckenberg Tower. In total, the system ran for about five years, capturing over 2.5 million individual images during that time - a testament to the long-term stability and efficiency of our technology, and another valuable contribution to the visual documentation of Frankfurt’s urban transformation.
A heartfelt thank you to Commerz Real for the trusting collaboration and the opportunity to be part of this extraordinary high-rise project.
🎬 Watch Now: https://youtu.be/b_5oVbO9mDk
More about our technology: https://www.mktimelapse.com/technology
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