ARTICLE ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 20, 2015

Cologne may be best known for its annual International art fair, but since the 1950s architects have been busy reconstructing and creating a modern city according to Rudolf Schwartz’s post-war urban plan. They have created Cologne’s architectural identity with some outstanding contemporary buildings. Cologne has a wide range of contemporary architecture ranging from the Kolumba art museum by Peter Zumthor (see also), to the Weltstadthaus by Renzo Piano for the Peek & Cloppenburg, and more recently the Central Mosque by Paul Böhm.
“Cologne isn’t just famous for its carnival and cheerful characters, it’s also a metropolis that produces a wealth of sensational buildings,” says Frank Haubold, Vice President IMM Here are the best examples of contemporary architecture in Cologne

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KölnTurm

At 148.5 meters tall, the Cologne Tower is the tallest office building in Cologne. Construction of the building lasted from June 1999 to November 2001. The reinforced concrete building was built in cooperation between the architectural firm Kohl & Kohl and the Parisian architect Jean Nouvel. It contains a suspended center core and the edge between floors to Pendelstützen. The floor plan of the tower is divided into three areas, with an 18-meter mast to the upper end.

Colonius

Colonius or Fernmeldeturm is the telecommunications tower in Cologne and is a popular tourist attraction in Cologne. Built-in 1981, at the time of its completion the Colonius was 252.9 meters high. In 2004 a radio tower added by helicopter increased the height to 266 meters. Visitors from all over the world throng this tower to enjoy a stunning view from the 170-meter high viewing platform.

Peek & Cloppenburg Building

Peek and Cloppenburg is a spectacular building in Cologne constructed by a famous architect and builder Renzo Piano. A look at this wonderful building that is today one of the well-known landmarks in this city, you will be struck by the creativity and style that flows through it. Renzo Piano has certainly built this with a passion that exceeds what is technically possible. This building showcases a range of new sensations and perspectives.

WDR Arcades

Known as one of the architectural icons of the popular German architect Gottfried Bohm, the WDR Arcades represent notable steel and glasswork. The WDR Arcades are a part of the series of public buildings designed at the end of the 1980s in collaboration with Gottfried Bohm’s wife, Elizabeth Bohm.

Central Mosque Cologne

Architect Paul Böhm was responsible for the Central Mosque in Cologne, the construction forms a group around a courtyard which opens to Venloer Strasse. A wide stairway connects the two main levels. The street level contains the bazaar and the event hall entrance. The complex is mainly characterized by the praying hall, which consists of several shell-like walls. In the center, these walls build a light-flooded dome.

Riverside Tower Cranes

The line of three “crane houses” in Cologne’s Rheinauhafen, loosely based on El Lissitzky’s utopian “Cloud-irons” dating from 1924, a new typology of the skyscraper has been created. With its dynamic form and in its association with the original historic loading cranes, the building, designed by Hadi Teherani Architects, sets a prominent sign of the onset of an architectural committee of the city by the river.

Immanuel Church

The new Immanuel Church in Cologne is approached through an existing parish garden de ned by a circle of mature trees. Sauerbruch Hutton architects offer to this place an outside activity and worship, this garden becomes the central element of a new ensemble that comprises a bell tower, the church, a small chapel for private prayer, as well as a columbarium.

Zoo/Flora Rail Station

The light rail station Zoo / Flora defines a place with high recreational and tourism frequency relevance. The bus stop is undeveloped barrier-free. The structural substance of the inventory is getting old. The office for bridges and light rail in the city of Cologne has developed a concept for a new barrier-free crossing between the platforms.

Kap 686 Skate Park

Cologne Cathedral was completed 135 years ago and for 25 of those years, skaters have firmly taken possession of Roncalliplatz in front of the southern facade. During this time, a separate culture was formed and for many, the square became an area that they identified with. Established interest groups exerted pressure, and some were of the opinion that skating should simply be banned. In response, they did something completely unusual for their scene, they formed a society which gained over 500 members within a short span of time.