Habsburgerring

11. March 2021

© O&O Baukunst Köln GmbH

The site-specific approach always has a special relevance. Be it as a reference to the architectural context or to the scenery of the surrounding city and its history. The design references contemporary buildings in the vicinity.

Office and commercial building at Rudolfplatz/Habsburgerring
Location:                                  Cologne city centre
Client:                                        Project Development Rudolfplatz in Cologne GmbH
                                                     c/o Development Partner AG
Competition:                           invited competition 2017
Project status:                        Competition completed
Function:                                  office and commercial building
GFA:                                           13,000 m²

The new construction of an office and commercial building is planned for a site whose location at the Habsburgerring/Rudolfplatz corner situation is of particular importance in terms of urban development. The Habsburgerring is part of the so-called “Cologne Rings”, which enclose Cologne’s inner city in a semicircle. One of the central points of these “Cologne Rings” is the busy Rudolfplatz, where you will find Hahnentorburg, one of the few remaining medieval city gates in Cologne.

The building fits into its heterogeneous surroundings and reflects the existing block structure. The transparent first floor forms an urban base that is closely linked to its surroundings. The house is “crowned” by a stone roof with projecting eaves. The choice of materials for the façade, a combination of light-coloured natural stone and a bronze-tone metal, is based on the tonality of the Hahnentorburg and the vertical structure of the Steigenberger Hotel in the immediate vicinity.