Skytower

On the 11th of November, the legendary SKYRUN took place in the tallest office building in Romania - the SkyTower - for the first time after a seven-year break, with around 600 runners from 6 nations climbing 35 floors, 700 steps and 122 metres in height. 

The winning times were 03:19 minutes and 04:22 minutes respectively and were run by Mr. Florin Munteanu and Ms. Antoanela Manac. 

But the stair run is not only fun, but it also serves a good cause, as all registration fees of € 13.500 were rounded up by RPHI to the amount of € 20.000 and were donated to the development of the Climb Again Association's social and educational projects. Since 2014, Climb Again has been organizing free climbing therapy sessions, kinesiotherapy and psychological counselling for children and young people with disabilities: visual impairment, hearing impairment, autism spectrum disorder, neuromotor disorders and related deficits.

„This successful event confirms that SkyTower is more than an office building. We used the short-time opportunity of the vacant top floor office to organize the 4th edition of SKYRUN after a 7-year break. I would like to thank more than 600 runners for their contribution to this success and for all the positive energy. With Climb Again we have a great partner to support kids and young people with special needs.”, says Karl-Maria Pfeffer, CEO of RPHI Vienna.

SkyTower, the tallest building in Romania, announces the signing of two new lease contracts, each for a period of 5 years.

AMS ACCELERATE IT THROUGH PEOPLE SA and Credit Amanet SA signed contracts for a total area of approximately 600 square metres, both office spaces being located on the 9th floor of the tower.

AMS ACCELERATE IT is an IT recruitment company founded in 2007 dealing with the recruitment of specialised staff for clients' projects.

Credit Amanet SA is a joint stock company that dates back almost 15 years on the Romanian market, being the market leader in Bucharest. The company offers short-term mortgage and currency exchange lending services and manages the most diversified trading platform for precious metals, jewellery and luxury products.

“I am happy that AMS ACCELERATE IT THROUGH PEOPLE and CREDIT AMANET have chosen the SkyTower building for their new headquarters, as well as a new stage of development. The fact that we currently have a 100% occupancy rate shows  that our investments in refurbishing, improving the common spaces and expanding the facilities in the tower, meet the needs of the market considering the changes in the way we work. Therefore, we are determined to continue to offer a welcoming, creative and dynamic work environment. Plus, the versatility of the list of tenants in terms of surface area and duration of contracts will soon allow the accommodation of new potential tenants with the first negotiations already underway,” Florentina Mitricoaia declared, Leasing and Asset Manager, RPHI Romania - the company that owns and manages SkyTower.

As of February 2023, SkyTower has become a member of the World Federation of Great Towers – W.F.G.T. following a complex selection and assessment process. This partnership honours the tower and provides new promotion and development opportunities, as SkyTower consolidates its position as an iconic Romanian building.

On the occasion of joining the W.F.G.T., SkyTower has also launched the public programme for visiting the 36th floor – the NOR Restaurant. The tickets can exclusively be purchased at visit.skytower.ro. While enjoying and taking pictures with the unique panoramic view of the city, each visitor will receive a cocktail.SkyTower Bucharest is the only building in Romania that is a member of W.F.G.T., the federation gathering around 50 iconic towers in the world (https://www.great-towers.com/).

“SkyTower has been distinguishing itself for years on the market of premium buildings of Romania, both by its innovative high-tech and sustainable features, and by its high level of services: from the unique air-cooling system to direct natural light for all the work areas, to unique events and contests dedicated to the community, plus their free access to electric car charging stations. The addition of SkyTower to the selective circle of iconic towers from all over the world represents another confirmation of its status as an iconic building for Romania,” said Ramona Boca, PR & Marketing Coordinator for RPHI Romania – the company that owns and manages SkyTower.

“On behalf of the Executive Committee and all W.F.G.T. members, I am proud and honoured to welcome SkyTower Bucharest to the World Federation of Great Towers extending a very warm welcome to the team at SkyTower Bucharest. In these still challenging times, it makes us very happy to see our WFGT family grow, as it shows that our worldwide community is a solid base for support, best practice exchange and companionship. We are looking very forward to a trustful and fruitful cooperation. WELCOME SkyTower Bucharest!” said Christina Aue, Executive Director for World Federation of Great Towers.

The World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT) was founded in 1989 and it currently counts more than 50 international members. The Federation objective is to showcase the great towers of the world, celebrating their astonishing features of architecture and engineering. Each tower is a top global destination with its own observation or viewing deck. 

SkyTower, the tallest office building in Romania, owned and managed by Raiffeisen Property Holding International (RPHI), reaches almost 100% occupancy rate and accomplishes ten years of successful activity on the local market. 

Inaugurated in 2012, SkyTower has become the iconic landmark of the local office market and one of the main growth drivers of the northern business centre in Bucharest. Over the years, SkyTower has influenced the rapid development of the office sector in its area and secured a strong business community around this iconic building.

“SkyTower was a bold idea, implemented in a record time. Its innovative, modern, and safe construction attributes have put SkyTower on top of the business community’s preference for top office spaces and headquarters. Flexibility, sustainability, constant care for our tenants’ needs and unique high-tech features have been our focus during the last 10 years. Thus, we have become an iconic building not only for Bucharest, but for the entire country. Our capacity to transform, adapt, invest, and continuously improve has been crucial in becoming Romania’s most iconic office building and we will do everything for SkyTower to remain an icon. Our way forward is committed to be most responsive to the office market’s dynamics and tenants’ changing needs,” said Karl-Maria Pfeffer, CEO, RPHI.

The SkyTower building has over 2,000 residents in a total leasable area of 40,450 square metres, with an average distribution of 1,157.70 leasable square metres per floor. Tenants cover various industries from IT, Energy, Banking, Pharma and Insurance to Beauty and Interior Design.

RPHI is committed to continuing its investment plans in Romania, with focus on current office building portfolio development (SkyTower and the neighbouring FCC Office Building). 

SkyTower, the tallest office building in Romania, was awarded the SHORE Gold Certification for operational risk, resilience, and governance of real estate operations, by the internationally renowned SAFE Asset Group. Thus, SkyTower becomes the first office building in Romania to successfully complete the SHORE Gold certification process.

“The SHORE Gold certificate shows our resilience capacity in any event and helps us providing a safe space for our community of tenants. It proofs our commitment to continuous investments in offering the best international industry standards and practices. At the same time, it is a new step in our ESG strategy, as people, property and environmental safety are top priority for us.”, said Anca Alexandrescu, Property Manager, RPHI Romania, the company that owns and manages SkyTower.

With the SHORE certification, it is confirmed that SkyTower is operated at the highest international standards for operational resilience and security.

During the building certification process, SAFE Asset Group extensively assessed six main activity pillars: Management systems, Property protection, Customer and Occupier management, Security and Crisis management. The evaluations included a thorough safety audit and dedicated interviews with selected stakeholders.

Prior to obtaining the SHORE Gold Certification, SkyTower was awarded two other internationalbuilding certifications: LEED Platinum certification for Operations and Maintenance (O+M) and Gold DGNB certification  (Blue Building Category) awarded by ÖGNI. FCC Office Building, the second office building owned and managed by RPHI in Romania, was also awarded the SHORE Gold Certification. 

SkyTower, the tallest office building in Romania, has received the LEED Platinum certification for Operations and Maintenance (O+M), which certifies buildings for best practices, and measures environmental achievements during operations and maintenance. SkyTower is the first office building in the country to obtain the highest certification level within the LEED certification system.

"We are constantly mindful about improving the working environment for SkyTower tenants. We run and maintain our equipment in the most efficient way possible, trying to understand our weak points, and consequently, improving our performance and Sky Tower’s ecological footprint. The LEED Platinum (O+M) certification confirms the high standards of SkyTower, from the design to the execution and operation. This certification is the result of our focus towards efficiency, operational sustainability and reducing our environmental impact", said Bernd Steingruber, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of RPHI Romania, the management and ownership company of SkyTower.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification process, awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), took into account the fulfilment of a predetermined set of criteria. These were regarding the location of the building, access to transport and water efficiency. Other criteria taken into account during the certification process were energy and climate control efficiency, quality of the indoor environment, innovation and local environmental priorities.

The interior design project of Raiffeisen Property Holding International’s (RPHI) offices, located on the 18th floor of SkyTower, was awarded the BigSee Interior Design Award, Workspace category.

The interior design project of RPHI’s office space in Romania, carried out by the Romanian design office Arhitecturall, was developed, and implemented over a period of five months, and the works were completed in May 2020.

The BigSee Awards competition is open to applicants from countries of the SEE region and has six categories: Architecture, Interior Design, Product Design, Fashion Design, Wood Design and Tourism Design.

"It was definitely a team effort and success – starting with the idea, to collating the needs of all of our colleagues, to defining common goals and tendering the architects, up to the completion of the project. This really paid off – we feel privileged to work in such an inspiring and beautiful office space", said Bernd Steingruber, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of RPHI Romania, management and ownership company of SkyTower.

At the BigSee Interior Design Awards competition, the winner of each category is selected based on the following criteria: innovation, smart design, originality, sustainability, cultural and social awareness, functionality, creative strength, passion, and business excellence in the South Eastern Europe region.

The vision for the interior design project for the RPHI offices in Bucharest was to step out of our comfort zone and classical design patterns and create a new emblematic space: "the heart of the company". The space was designed to be representative of the entire SkyTower and the creativity it generates. The interior design project also makes the most of the abundant natural light which the building enjoys, by creating a fluid path using organic design.

The furniture chosen for the office area has curved shapes and can be adapted and rearranged according to numbers of people and preferences. This offers versatility, a certain dynamism and refinement, the space thus being used to its full potential, without loss of surface areas.

The BigSee Awards help to promote creative and original works in the SEE region.

Follow the link to see the pictures of the winning RPHI-office

On behalf of all its tenants, SkyTower has donated the equivalent of 15.575 protection masks to “Asociatia Daruieste Viata” (The Gift of Life Association), the main Romanian NGO that fights against Covid-19, supplying medical equipment and building a modular hospital.

The donation represents the Easter presents that all community members would have received from SkyTower, under normal circumstances. As the majority of our tenants are teleworking, they received a virtual greeting card and the information, that the donation was made on their behalf.

The feedback we got was amazing:

“We have received your message with great joy. A delight! I am glad that together we are taking small steps for the ‘better’.” – TSG

“Wow, thank you so much! It’s a very beautiful gesture.” – Esilicon

“Thank you, a very cool initiative – congratulations!” – AdsWizz

Through this donation in these very special times all members of SkyTower community are contributing to our global fight, by donating life.

SkyTower Cup, the annual football competition organized by RPHI Romania dedicated to its tenants took place on November 14th. Each of the 16 participating teams was playing for another charitable company, such as the “Little People Association” and the “Seeding Knowledge Foundation”. Karl Maria-Pfeffer, CEO of RPHI Group handed over the vouchers to the winning teams, who are supporting the charity projects with a total of EUR 2.200.

On the same day the award ceremony for the photo competition “Vision of Sky” was happening in the lobby of SkyTower. A selection of the submitted pictures was shown in a pop-up exhibition, which drew the interest of many visitors. There were 2 categories of pictures: view from the roof top terrace of SkyTower and view of SkyTower from any point of the city. The result were truly amazing pictures with lots of creativity of the tenants. The happy winners of the competition were handed over gift vouchers of a photo equipment company located in Bucharest.

The newest tenant of the SkyTower Building is the NOR – Sky Casual Restaurant occupying the entire 36th floor (1,011 m²) of the building.With a warm, welcoming colour design and unique custom-made furniture built at a maximum height of 86 centimetres so that no part of the view is obstructed, the NOR is uniquely located at  over 130 metres above ground offering its clientele a spectacular 270 degrees panoramic view over the city of Bucharest. With a seating capacity of 200, the NOR- Sky Casual Restaurant offers its clientele 36 contemporary recipes of international cuisine.

skytower.ro

norbucharest.ro

facebook.com/BucharestSkyTower

Oracle Romania has extended their lease contract until July 2024. The local branch of the US IT giant moved in March 2015 and occupies 10,400 sqm (23rd - 31st floor) of Class A office spaces. Oracle completes the perfect tenant mix. Tenants like Raiffeisen Bank, 1&1 Internet Development, Tinmar Ind, Amadeus, PeliFilip, Bomax Group, Symantec, Proiect Bucuresti, cover a wide range of businesses, from banking to IT&C, architecture and energy. Sky Tower building is the tallest office Tower in Romania and a well-known landmark on Bucharests Skyline.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) relocates to a new headquarters effective July 2016. It will occupy the entire 33rd floor of SkyTower, namely a space of 1,158 square meters, which was completely adapted to the requirements of the Embassy. The lease agreement was signed for a period of 5 years.

"We have made this decision because our relocation to SkyTower brings a range of facilities that ensure a high degree of operational efficiency and an enhanced level of comfort for embassy staff. We are delighted that the new headquarters of the Embassy will be on the 33rd floor of the most modern office building in the capital and we are content to remain in the north of the city", declared Kim Eun-Joong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Romania.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea thus becomes the 23rd tenant of SkyTower, along with companies from various industries, such as banking, IT&C, architecture and energy sectors. With its newest tenant, the building’s occupancy rate will reach 96%, with average 5-year lease terms.

APS Romania sets to expand its headquarters in SkyTower, the tallest building in the country and Bucharest’s newest landmark, by leasing half of the 32nd floor. With a lease contract valid until July, 2020, APS Romania already holds a lease in the building for floors 11 and 12, where over 180 employees develop the local operations of the company.

“We have already been present in the building for two years and the obvious choice for our expansion was SkyTower, a building just as technically impressive as comfortable. Moreover, the flexibility of the owner streamlined the entire process and ensured our effortless transition,” said Victor Angelescu, APS Romania General Manager.

The innovative shape and the unique equipment ensure, besides cost efficiency, a comfortable, flexible and safe working environment.

“APS Romania’s choice to expand their office space in SkyTower is proof of their satisfaction with the services provided. We are pleased with their choice and we will continue to offer the best to our tenants”, stated Karl-Maria Pfeffer, CEO of the RPHI Group.

With a height of 137 meters and 37 floors, SkyTower meets both the highest aesthetic and technical standards to create the perfect modern office building. Currently, there are more than 3,000 employees from 22 different companies working in SkyTower.

The Romanian Team of RPHI organized the third edition of SKYRUN on 23rd of January 2016. With a record number of participants this year, more than 800 runners took part at the biggest tower-running event in Romania which was again a great success. Munteanu Florin defended his title for the third time in a row, with a time of exactly 3 minutes, which he needed to reach the 34th floor, after climbing 680 steps.The organizers are very happy to donate again EUR 20.000 to charitable organizations. This year HOSPICE, Mia’s Children, World Vision and Mai Mult Verde were supported in their charitable activities.

SkyTower is delighted to welcome its newest tenant, Oracle Romania, the local branch of the US IT giant. The company leased 9 floors (over 10,400 square meters) in SkyTower, representing so far the largest lease transaction in Romania in 2015. The lease term signed is for at least five years. Approximately 1,000 Oracle employees will occupy floors 23rd to 31st, starting as soon as early May this year, which pushes the occupancy rate of SkyTower to well over 80%.

Oracle joins tenants like Raiffeisen Bank, 1&1 Internet Development, Tinmar Ind, Amadeus, PeliFilip, Bomax Group, Symantec, Proiect Bucuresti, covering a wide range of businesses, from banking to IT&C, architecture and energy. SkyTower building is the tallest office tower in Romania, the premium location with Class A spaces and the landmark on Bucharests skyline.

RPHI organized the first edition of SKYRUN on 7th of December 2013. 650 runners aged between 18 and 60 years took part at the biggest tower-running event in Romania which was a great success. Supporters and media people cheered for the participants, who had to climb 680 stairs (119 m altitude difference) starting from the ground floor to reach the finish line in the 34th floor. Individual electronic chips were used for time measuring, the fastest runner finished in 2 minutes and 55 seconds.

The event promoted the importance of a healthy balanced lifestyle and has been dedicated to the activity of the non-governmental charity organization “HOSPICE Casa Sperantei”. HOSPICE provides palliative care services for terminally ill persons and supports the services at a national level through educational programs. The organizers are very happy to donate EUR 20.000 to HOSPICE  for the completion of a palliative care center in Bucharest raised through the SKYRUN-event.

On October 21st , the Spanish restaurant “Entre Aromas” has opened. Designed to render a piece of Spain in Bucharest, with a spectacular backdrop inspired by Gaudi, the restaurant provides SkyTower employees and visitors a menu tailored to their needs for different times of day.

With a capacity of 100 seats located on three levels, “Entre Aromas” has three distinct areas: the morning bistro, a restaurant buffet lunch and an à la carte restaurant for the evening. SkyTower employees and visitors are able to enjoy a wide variety of coffees, pastries and other breakfast snacks, a quick affordable buffet lunch and a refined menu based on seafood and gourmet Spanish specialties for dinner.

SkyTower Bucharest, the highest office building in Romania (137 meters high and 37 floors), started a series of Open Doors events in August that take place every Thursday and Friday between 17:00 and 21:00 at the 34th floor.

On Fridays, SkyTower Open Doors event is dedicated to the general public who can enjoy the unique 360° view over Bucharest through the 6 precision spotting scopes, relax while playing ping-pong and table top football, or just watch the urban photo exhibition called “film versus digital”.

On Thursday evenings, the Open Doors are dedicated to the corporate employees. For them, the floor has also been equipped with Wii Sport Resorts, playstation video games and remote control cars. Since the launching of the events series, SkyTower has welcomed each week around 1.500 visitors and we expect an increase of visits during September.

The SkyTower Bucharest has been completed in December 2012. The public authorities have approved the new building in the middle of the month. So the Raffeisen Bank Romania could already move into 6 floors.

After a record building time of only 13 months, the SkyTower in the Romanian capital Bucharest celebrated its completion: With the concreting of the 36th floor, the SkyTower has been topped-out. A few weeks ago, the directly connected FCC office building was topped-out as well.

The topping-out ceremony on 28th of June 2012 was organized by Raiffeisen Property Holding International (RPHI) as the owner of both buildings, Raiffeisen evolution as the general contractor and the concerned construction company Strabag, responsible for both projects.

As part of the topping-out ceremony, Carl Rossey (Raiffeisenbank Romania, Vice President Operations & IT Division), Dieter Hoffmann (RPHI, Head of Project Development & Technics), Gerald Beck (Raiffeisen Evolution, Managing Director) and Gerhard Schinnerl (Strabag, Managing Director) thanked the project team for the first-class execution. The outstanding performance of Strabag – and especially its workers – was also praised, the construction grew in record time by one floor per week.

A new headquarter for Raiffeisen Bank Romania

Reaching a total height of 137 m, the SkyTower, which was acquired by Raiffeisen Property Holding International (RPHI) in 2011 will be the tallest building in Bucharest. The construction of the 37-floors building, which will set new standards - both architecturally and technically, should be completed by the end of 2012. The FCC office building and six floors of the SkyTower were leased to Raiffeisen Bank Romania, which will set up its new head office there.

The Construction on Bucharest’s new landmark, the SkyTower, has been going on steadily. At the end of May, the building, which will be completed by the end of 2012, has reached a height of 100 meters.

Construction was begun in May 2011 and carried out speedily and effectively, so that as of late an average of one floor per week was built. The SkyTower, which was acquired by Raiffeisen Property Holding International (RPHI) last year, will reach a total height of 137 m and comprise 37 floors. The smaller office building Floreasca City Centre (FCC) with its six floors, also acquired by RPHI last year, is directly connected to the SkyTower. The topping-out party was celebrated at the end of April.

The entire FCC office building, as well as seven floors of the tower will be occupied by Raiffeisen Bank Romania while all remaining floors will be leased by RPHI. “The interest in the SkyTower is huge, particularly because it is suitable for the presentation of your own company like no other building. Compared to the pace of construction there is also great interest in the spaces still available for rental”, quoted Gabriele Deffner, Head of Marketing and Asset Management for RPHI. The Manager is currently in talks with companies from the IT, consulting and luxury goods industry about the lease of 20,000 m² of office space.

High-speed elevators and a glass curtain façade

The SkyTower not only sets architectural standards, but also standards in terms of building techniques. High-speed elevators serve the upper floors. A glass curtain façade made in Germany ensures, on the one hand, an increased supply of natural light and reduces heat on the other. The top two floors are occupied by the SkyBar, a restaurant with a panoramic view over Bucharest, as well as a modern conference center. The garage under the SkyTower offers 518 parking spaces.

Facts & Figures SkyTower
137 m high office tower
Property owner: Raiffeisen Property Holding International (RPHI)
General contractor: Raiffeisen evolution
Completion: Late 2012
Unit spaces from 290 m², 518 parking spaces (underground parking garage)

Facts & Figures FCC Office
Six-storey office building
Property owner: Raiffeisen Property Holding International (RPHI)
General contractor: Raiffeisen evolution
Tenant: Raiffeisen Bank Romania

Raiffeisen Property International acquired the Sky Tower in Bukarest. The sale was completed by Raiffeisen evolution, a general contractor in the north-eastern part of the Romanian capital.

The Sky Tower is part of a major project, which includes a 7 floor-office building – the Floreasca Office – and the Promenada Shopping Center. On 21st of November, Raiffeisen evolution completed the sale of the Sky Tower to Raiffeisen Property Holding International. With over 137m it is the highest building in Bucharest. The Romanian affiliate of RBI, Raiffeisen Bank S.A., will set up its new head-office there.

Raiffeisen Bank International: A visible sign of trust and security in CEE markets

At the beginning of 2013, after the completion of the construction works, Raiffeisen Bank S.A. shall relocate to SkyTower, where it will occupy floors 2 to 7, and in Floreasca Office, the 7-floors building located in the immediate vicinity of the tower.“Romania is and remains for us a very important market in the area of Central and Eastern Europe, a market that continues to offer a great potential. The planned relocation to SkyTower is one more step in proving this trust“ stated Herbert Stepic, Chairman of the RBI Board, related to this event.Excellent location, strong architecture – elements granting the successMarkus Neurauter, spokesperson for the Executive Management of Raiffeisen evolution states on his side: „This project was initially designed for investors, but after the change of the boundary conditions – namely the decision of Raiffeisen Bank in Romania to have a new headquarter – it developed into a  service contract.“

Steven van Groningen, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank S.A., added: ”The offer of attractive office spaces, that comply with our requirements, is very scarce in Bucharest. This is the reason why we look forward to the completion of SkyTower and Floreasca Office and are pleased to provide our clients and our employees an optimal business environment.“

The construction works for this mega-project are running at full power; today, the works have already reached the 12th floor, in parallel with the ongoing façade works. “Considering the exceptional architecture and the excellent location, we are confident that we will be able to lease the remaining available areas in SkyTower, securing the best conditions.“ stated Roland Gewessler, Managing Director of the Raiffeisen Property International.

Overall Concept: Complementary Office and Retail Areas

On the same location, Floreasca Office is built simultaneously providing on its seven floors 16,000 m² of leasable area. These office spaces will also be occupied by Raiffeisen Bank S.A.

In the immediate vicinity, Raiffeisen evolution constructs its retail project Promenada Shopping Center, a state-of-the-art retail and entertainment center that will provide suitable shopping conditions for both the residents and the professionals working in this area.

Features SkyTower

Height: 137 m / 37 floors
Gross floor space: 50.000 m2
Gross floor area: 1.150 m2
Underground garage: 518 parking spaces
Completion: at the end of 2012