In the 1990s， the Potsdamer Platz became what was known as the largest construction area in Europe. The square， together with several adjacent blocks were redeveloped under the supervisionsupervision n.监督， 管理 of the architects Wilmer and Sattler. The projects included several landmark towers， a shopping arcade， an entertainment center and residential buildings. The first building completed was the Debis tower， by Renzo Piano. Other eyecatchers are the Sony Center， a complex designed by Helmut Jahn which includes an Imax theater and an office tower. Its neighbor， a brownbrick Kohlhof building has an observation deck at a height of 93m.
The large new underground station， shopping arcade and entertainment center have brought new life to the Potsdamer Platz. It still is more of a tourist attraction than a “natural” square. Somehow， it all looks artificial. But with the construction of more residential buildings in the neighborhood， the area is set to gradually grow back to its former status： one of the liveliest squares in Europe.
Old Opera House
老歌剧院
老歌剧院(Alte Oper)是法兰克福最着名的建筑之一，法国巴黎歌剧院的复制品，1880年建成，开演当年威廉一世皇帝观看了首场演出之后，大为感动，宣布说唯有法兰克福能继承如此金碧辉煌，1945年战争以后它完全成为废墟，20世纪70年代末的修缮共花费了2亿4000万马克，新建采用新古典主义式。 如今同时作为音乐厅和会议中心使用，一流的文化场所。
Frankfurt is often seen only as a transit hub or a business centre， but it，s so much more. It boasts Germany，s most spectacularspectacular adj.引人入胜的， 壮观的 skyline， mirrored in the Main River， and Europe，s tallest office building. It，s also the country，s most international town； more than a quarter of its citizens are foreign.
Frankfurt throws more money at the arts than any other European city so you，ll most likely catch a groundbreaking exhibition at one of its museums. And if you do happen to get stuck at the megaairport there，s a nightclubnightclub n.夜总会， art gallery and Xrated cinema to help while away those intransit hours The most glamorousglamorous adj.富有魅力的， 迷人的 venue for classical music concerts， conferences and top cultural events. The world，s greatest artists and orchestras appear at the restored old opera house， while ballet， opera and theater are presented at the new Opera Hall， just 2 minutes away from here. Built between 1873 and 1880 and gutted in World War II， Frankfurt，s Old Opera House has been beautifully reconstructed. The new building is faithful to the classical proportions and style of the original. Even if you don，t go to a performance， it，s worth having a look at the ponderousponderous adj.沉重的， 笨重的， 冗长的， 沉闷的， (指问题等)呆板的 and ornate lobby.
Further along there，s Frankfurt，s Borse， Europe，s largest stock exchange， complete with an observation deck for wouldbe movers and shakers. In the past， the trading on the dealers， floor was hectic. These days， computerizedcomputerize vt.用计算机处理， 使计算机化 networks and international telephone systems have removed some of the drama， but it is still an exciting scene to watch from the visitors， gallery.
The Old Opera House still looks as magnificent and imposing as it did when it was opened by Kaiser Wilhelm I in 1880. The building was financed by wealthy Frankfurt citizens and was designed in Italian Renaissance style by Richard Lucae. Destroyed in a 1944 air raid， it was rebuilt in 1964~1981 and renamed the “Old Opera Concert and Conference Centre”. The main auditorium， with seating for about 2，500 people， is the central part of the building and is used for concerts， conferences and other events. Smaller rooms can be hired for functions. Visitors can obtain refreshmentsrefreshment n.点心， 饮料， 精力恢复， 爽快 in the cafe， the restaurant or the bistro.
The Romerberg
罗马广场
美茵河流经市区，将法兰克福一分为二，古城区的罗马广场就在河的北边；罗马广场旁有个罗马厅，实际上就是旧的市政厅，里面的皇帝殿（Kaisersaal）是许多罗马皇帝进行加冕的地方。罗马广场西侧的三个山形墙的建筑物，可以说是法兰克福的象征。虽然遭遇数百年战火的摧残，但整修后仍保存完好。罗马广场的东侧则有一排古色古香的半木造市民住宅。
罗马广场是法兰克福现代化市容中，唯一仍保留着中古街道面貌的广场。广场旁边的建筑物有旧市政厅(Rathau)，其阶梯状的人字形屋顶，别具特色。另有帝国大教堂(Kaiserdom)，罗马厅(Romer)，还有圣尼古拉旧教堂等。
FrankfurtamMain， Germany，s fifth largest city， straddles the River Main where its downtown cluster of glitteringglittery adj.闪光的， 闪烁的 office towers have earned the city the nickname “Mainhattan”. The most prominentprominent adj.卓越的， 显着的， 突出的 wolkenkratzer (literally “cloudscraper”) is the 259metrehigh Commerzbank tower， the headquarters of the European Central Bank. Frankfurt is the financial capital of Europe， and some 400 financial institutions are established here， including the Brse (stock exchange) and the Bundesbank (German Federal Bank). Thirty percent of Frankfurt，s residents are of foreign citizenshipcitizenship n.公民的身份， 公民的职责和权力， making it the most multicultural city in Germany. Thanks to its wealth， the city can afford to invest in culture in the form of excellent museums and worldclass opera. Its annual Book Fair - the world，s largest - is a magnet for the publishing industry.
All this high - profile international and commercial activity gives Frankfurt a modern feel， and locals tend to have a cosmopolitan attitude.
The historic center of the city is Romerberg， a square just two blocks north of the Main. The old town，s walls were torn down and the moats filled in， but a green belt of parks loops around the old city in their place. Several guardhouses still stand as landmarks. Northeast of Romerberg is the Konstablerwache， which has UBahn and SBahn stations. Northwest of Romerberg is the Hauptwache， now the site of a cafe and also an important transportation hub. To the east of the Hauptwache is the Zeil， Frankfurt，s busiest shopping street， and to the west is Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse， known locally as the Fressgasse (or “chowdown alley”) for its food markets and eating establishments. To the south of the Romerberg is an old iron footbridgefootbridge n.人行桥， the Eiserner Steg， which crosses the Main into Sachsenhausen. In Sachsenhausen， you，ll find interesting pubs and traditional taverns， as well as the Museumsufer (museums along the southern embankment).
