German Estate Group (GEG) has agreed to buy the landmark 29,000-square-metre Japan Center office tower in Frankfurt’s banking district from Commerz Real. The deal, worth some €280 million, will see GEG take control of the 115 metre-high building, which has been a striking feature of the city’s skyline since 1996. Built on plans by Berlin-based architect Joachim Ganz, the Japan Center is a contemporary interpretation of classical Japanese design. The overall dimensions of the façade — based on the Japanese tatami mat — and the cantilevered roof of the building are reminiscent of the profile of a Japanese stone lantern.