Its name is an intentional misspelling of the scientist Galileo's name; the extra l comes from the building's other namesake, the nearby park Gallusanlage.

Gallileo has a glass facade with 400 individual windows forming an approximately 22,000 m2 (240,000 sq ft) large transparent outer skin.

In the glass floors were the American artist James Turrell, integrated lighting, which make the building at night from the inside out glowing.

In 2018, Gallileo was sold to the Singapore-based real estate investor CapitaLand for €356 million, with Commerzbank retaining a long-term lease.

Further, in 2022 Commerzbank's rent-free sublease contract of the basement theater space to the English Theatre ended.