1st prize for JSWD
DEVK plans to expand its Cologne headquarters on the site of the zoo parking garage near the Rhine in the north of the city center. In our concept, two buildings with an almost identical footprint are arranged in such a way that a coherent urban figure is created. The approximately 44 and 144 meter high towers are connected by a five-storey base. The ensemble opens up towards the city center with a central plaza. In the transverse direction, the new city square acts as a welcome "stepping stone" for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the two pulsating traffic arteries between the Rhine promenade and the Zoo and Flora. In the planned façade, the pilaster strips of the photovoltaic modules are flexibly aligned with the sun.
"The area/space concept is particularly effective and successful," praises DEVK in-house architect and jury member Jean-Marc Minary. "The larger part of the building is mainly intended for office use and a café, for example," says Mr. Minary, "the smaller building is ideal for a supermarket, the publicly accessible sky bar, a training and conference center and the urgently needed employee apartments."
Source quote: DEVK press release
DEVK is aiming for certification by the DGNB, the German Sustainable Building Council.
Many thanks also to the specialist planners involved: RMPSL (open space), Werner Sobek (supporting structure, sustainability, façade), Gruner Deutschland GmbH (fire protection), RMN Ingenieure GmbH (technical building services)