Art-Invest Real Estate is developing an approx. 4,000 sq m site at Subbelrather Straße 13, in the immediate vicinity of the Colonius, into an attractive location for office and service uses. The aim is to realise a sustainable and modern architectural highlight. To this end, a two-phase ideas and realisation competition was held in close consultation with the City of Cologne. The architectural firm Sauerbruch Hutton emerged as the winner of the competition.
The competition is embedded in a participation process for the creation of building rights, in which the public is also involved in the development. Interested citizens were last given access to the results of the first phase of the competition on 20.04.2023 in order to collect comments on the ten entries submitted.
The six urban planning concepts selected by the jury in April for the second phase of the realisation competition were further elaborated by the teams of architects and open space planners and awarded prizes at the jury meeting on 18 August 2023.
The design by the architects Sauerbruch Hutton emerged as the winner from the high-ranking, international field of planners. Chaired by Cologne architect Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer, the jury, which consists of renowned architects, landscape planners, representatives of the city of Cologne and the awarding authority, voted unanimously.
The plan envisages a solitary office tower with 22 floors. Publicly accessible uses will be realised in the base of the building and on the top floor. The concept for the outdoor facilities envisages the removal of the existing barriers between the green belt, the project site and the intersection of Innerer Kanalstraße and Subbelrather Straße.
Dr. Markus Wiedenmann, CEO of Art-Invest Real Estate commented, “The award-winning design solves the multi-layered requirements of the important location in a surprisingly simple way. The sculptural design of the building is an appropriate response to the listed Colonius and the small footprint of the ground floor opens up entirely new possibilities for connecting the city to the green belt. We look forward to the next steps in assessing feasibility and the upcoming development plan process with the aim of realising another cityscape-defining landmark for the Cologne office market.”
The jury also included Markus Greitemann, Head of the Planning and Building Department of the City of Cologne. He thanked the competition organiser for the very constructive competition procedure: “Outstanding planning ideas usually emerge from carefully prepared competition procedures that are embedded in an overall process. This procedure was set up together with the “Steering Group for the Urban Master Plan for the City Centre”. It has a model effect for further projects in the Inner Green Belt.”
The chairman of the jury, Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer, was also convinced by the solutions of the entries: “I am impressed by the diversity and quality of the submitted works and more than pleased that there was a clear commitment in the jury to a very courageous and forward-looking design that will help shape the cityscape of Cologne in the most positive way.”
The award-winning design will now form the basis of the subsequent development plan procedure. The designs of all participants are expected to be made publicly accessible at an exhibition in the Deutz town hall in October. The exact date will be announced later.
