Commerzbank is negotiating with Samsung SRA Asset Management over the future of its Frankfurt headquarters, with options ranging from extending the current lease to leaving the Commerzbank Tower when the agreement expires in 2032, according to reports and company statements.

The 259‑metre Commerzbank Tower, designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster and the tallest building in Germany, has long been central to the bank’s brand and advertising. The Financial Times reported that discussions reflect a drive to reduce costs and strengthen returns as Commerzbank seeks to deter a potential takeover by Italy’s UniCredit, which has raised its stake to more than 29 per cent.

A Commerzbank spokesperson confirmed to n‑tv that negotiations with the landlord are taking place. In comments reported by the Financial Times, Samsung SRA said it was “still in talks with Commerzbank about the issue”, adding that the bank wanted to remain in the tower but wanted to “cut their rent”. Commerzbank told the newspaper it was “continuously reviewing” its properties to “optimising our existing spaces and relinquishing those that are no longer needed”. Samsung SRA and people familiar with the bank’s thinking said no decision has been made.

Commerzbank sold the tower to Samsung SRA in 2016 for about €600 million during a restructuring following its state‑backed rescue after the global financial crisis, then agreed a 15‑year lease. While hailed as an “eco tower” in the 1990s, the building no longer meets modern sustainability and energy efficiency standards, and the parties are discussing potential renovations. Samsung SRA has explored upgrades with project developers, according to the Financial Times, though it declined to comment on specific contacts.

The bank’s broader property strategy is changing. Earlier this year, Commerzbank signed a 15‑year lease with Helaba for more than 73,000 square metres in the 205‑metre Central Business Tower, due for completion in 2028, providing space for around 3,200 workplaces. Commerzbank described the new skyscraper, alongside its existing tower hosting 2,900 workplaces, as “an important new anchor for the bank’s headquarters in downtown Frankfurt”.

Operational streamlining continues, with Commerzbank planning to cut about 3,300 jobs in Germany, most of them in Frankfurt, as part of efforts to improve profitability and resilience. Prime office rents in Frankfurt have held at about €54 per square metre since March, up 10 per cent year on year, according to BNP Paribas Real Estate, with large lettings by Commerzbank and others supporting activity.

No outcome from the negotiations has been confirmed, and both an extended stay and relocation remain possible, the reports said.

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