With the conversion of the former railway head office, Cologne‘s cityscape has received a new landmark. The new roof design has led to the recreation of the historic mansard roof as well as the generation of terraces with views of the Rhine River that are set between the metal bands surrounding the roof storeys and the set-back office facades.

The former railway head office is on Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer immediately opposite the Rhine River and in immediate vicinity of Cologne’s main railway station, the cathedral and the city centre. The design takes into consideration the listed building, including the historic facade layout, and develops a contemporary solution for the mansard roof that was destroyed during the Second World War. Horizontal metal bands surround the four uppermost storeys and, owing to the angle of their fixture, trace the slope of the original roof, which characterised the silhouette of the cathedral city for many years before its destruction. The glass facades behind the horizontal bands do not follow the slope of the original roof but are perpendicular to the floor plates. This feature creates deep roof terraces in the surrounding space offering panoramic views across the city. The listed facade of the lower storeys is upgraded; the impressive historical entrance hall is rebuilt and incorporated into the new build. Three ground-level entrances on Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer provide the opportunity to divide the building into three rental areas. They all fulfil the requirements of modern flexible office space and offer different office layout concepts ranging from single cell units to business lounges.

Typology  Office   Built volume  GFA 30,000 m² (incl. underground garage), GIV 119,300 m³  Client HOCHTIEF Projektentwicklung GmbH, Niederlassung Rhein-Ruhr, Cologne  Final investor  Commerz Real AG, Düsseldorf   Occupant   EASA - European Aviation Safety Agency   Architecture  kadawittfeldarchitektur in corporation with Graf + Graf Architekten Completion 2013-2016  Competition  1st prize 2012 Project management Burkhard Floors