By purchasing the long vacant department store in 2014, the City of Cologne assumed a key role in the effort to advance the pending rehabilitation of the city center of Porz. The Urban Development Corporation moderne stadt had been given the mandate for the creation of a feasibility study, which was being prepared in collaboration with JSWD Architekten. The generally favored concept provided for the demolition of the department store in the pedestrian zone and the urban redesign of the city center by adding three new structures. The interrelationships of the walking public and desired visibility links will be clearly structured in future and will bring to fruition novel retail concepts for the ground floor areas. Apartments are projected for the upper levels. At this time, JSWD is working on the plans for what is known as “Building 1”. Construction is scheduled to get underway during the remainder of 2018.
Photo: mordene stadt