#Review of the master plan for a new quarter on the former grounds of the Van der Zypen & Charlier Waggonwerke in Cologne Mühlheim.
The charm of the former industrial area is preserved and continues to give the site its unmistakable character.
Typology office, hotel, gastronomy, retail, hostel, residential Location Cologne Construction volume site area 67,885 m², lettable area approx. 95,000 m² Client CG Gruppe AG Construction as of 2019 Study review of the master plan 04-2015 Award Polis Award 2017 – honorable mention
#Review of the master plan for a new quarter on the former grounds of the Van der Zypen & Charlier Waggonwerke in Cologne Mühlheim.
The charm of the former industrial area is preserved and continues to give the site its unmistakable character.
The development area is located north of the Cologne fairground and east of Mülheim’s port. It is enclosed on three sides by the Rhine bridge Zoobrücke, the ICE railway line and the street Deutz-Mülheimer Straße. The main access to the site is provided by a north-south axis connecting the fairground with the Rhine river bank and two smaller streets that turn off Deutz-Mülheimer Straße. The public space has been given an identity of its own with a variety of setbacks and protrusions. It is almost like a string of pearls in the way that the design connects the various squares and functions in an arrangement of new and existing buildings. The aim is to add areas for local arts and crafts markets, as well as a multi-storey carpark, to the different-sized apartments, restaurants, commercial units, workshops and offices. The older buildings with historical value and worth retaining, such as the railway depot and the angular-shaped round building, are going to be refurbished and carefully supplemented with new builds. kadawittfeldarchitektur is responsible for the design of five of the eleven development areas. Alongside the refurbishment of the historic railway depot, the practice is in charge of constructing workshops, various residential and commercial units, as well as a multi-storey carpark with a planted roof.
MI 1 The five-storey residential building with a set-back roof is located next to the scheme designed by the architects’ practice Schilling Architekten on Deutz-Mühlheimer Straße.
MI 3 An L-shaped new build creates a courtyard together with the existing office building, which is bordered by the existing wall of the art and crafts centre to the south. The enclosed space with planting and a children’s play area functions as an exterior zone for the residents and staff from the surrounding office buildings.
MI 4 The historic railroad depot is positioned in front of a new multi-storey car park. Enhanced with new functions, the depot will continue to determine the unique atmosphere of the quarter.
MI 5 The new office building is located between the historic railroad depot and the distinct angular-shaped round building designed by the architects‘ practice ROBERTNEUNTM.
GE 101 The five-storey office building with a set-back roof and roof terrace lines Deutz-Mülheimer Straße together with the existing buildings immediately next door. The stepped design of the ground floor is a special feature. Whereas the southern end with offices and the main entrance area is level with the exterior space, the floor steps down and is 93 cm lower at the northern end. A sunken courtyard structures the zone to the rear of the building.
GE 010,016,017 The three existing buildings in the middle of the arts and crafts centre are being refurbished to accommodate units for the small businesses, artists and craftspeople that were on the grounds before the redevelopment work began.
MI 1 | The residential building on Deutz-Mülheimer Straße with different apartment layouts, as well as loft and maisonette units, offers a variety of space for combined living and working concepts. The clearly designed base of the building accommodates customised apartments and commercial units. This arrangement together with the public exterior space and playground areas encourages the development of a lively estate for different occupants and age groups.
MI4 | Some buildings like the former railroad depot are being retained and will continue to contribute to the special atmosphere of the urban quarter for living, working, art, culture and local supplies.
The multi-storey car park to the rear of the plot will not only supply the necessary parking spaces for the planned redevelopment but also protect the new quarter from sound emissions generated by Cologne’s main thoroughfare.
MI 5 | The new build is positioned between the historic railroad depot and the listed angular-shaped round building, and is bordered by the arches of the ICE railway viaduct to the west. The clear and simple facade design with precast concrete and glass elements blends into the historic architecture of the industrial brick buildings as well as the warehouses and manufacturing plants in the surroundings.
The urban quarter is traversed by parks, footpaths connecting the different buildings, squares and semi-public courtyards. The five-storey office building, for example, is accessed via a public forecourt at the front of the building.
GE 009 | The building “Gebäude 9” is not only known among the inhabitants of Cologne as a nightclub, concert hall, stage and independent cinema. The place on the former factory grounds at Deutz-Mülheimer Straße has been known as an event location since 1996. As part of the quarter’s redevelopment, the existing building has been refurbished and will be extended by four extra storeys in the next construction phase. After a ten-month reconstruction phase, the event location resumed its programme in November 2019.
GE 010 | The impressive 5-metre-high room in Building 10 with a vaulted ceiling has been carefully refurbished.
GE 016, 017 | The room heights and the distinct industrial feel of the building are being retained and the space is being converted into rental units with a loft character.
