Verkehrsturm

The Verkehrsturm in Bremen combines architecture and art through a brick structure designed by Danish artist Per Kirkeby. Its red brick gives the tower a clear, tactile presence. Kirkeby designed the octagonal tower in 1988 as a traffic control centre for Bremen’s public transport network. The former control centre served Bremen’s trams. A square base with recessed corners supports the slender tower, whose plan resembles a Greek cross. Four round arched niches shape the base. High arched windows rise around the upper section and once provided an all round view from the control stand. Four narrow openings mark the tower’s top like small arrow slits. Their fortress like appearance adds a medieval note to the minimalist, playful language of Kirkeby’s brick sculpture. The tower links practical engineering with sculptural form. Electronic control technology later replaced the building’s original role, while the structure retained its architectural and artistic importance. The Verkehrsturm has held monument protection in Bremen since 2019.