New Exhibition and Convention Hall Cologne Trade Fair
Client: Koelnmesse GmbH, Cologne
1st prize, Competition 2015/2016
Completion 2024
By 2030, Koelnmesse will have invested around EUR 700 million in the expansion and modernization of their trade fair grounds in the heart of Cologne. The direct connection to the Köln-Messe/Deutz train station, the new Messe-City, and the feeder road to the nearby highway make the location a central hub on the right bank of the Rhine. In 2016, the Koelnmesse 3.0 master plan initiated by JSWD was adopted and the firm was tasked with further planning. The goal of the construction and renovation measures is to clearly organize and rearrange the complex’s usage and circulation structures, allowing the halls to be flexibly combined.
Our concept envisions a clear main circulation junction comprised of the “Messeboulevard” intersected by a new, 400-meter-long East-West Terminal. This will allow for streamlined circulation between all trade fair halls. The trade fair grounds will also receive a new, striking Eastern Entrance with an inviting covered plaza. In addition to building the new Hall 1, JSWD is also responsible for the planning and implementation of the multifunctional Confex.
The Conference and Exhibition Center, or Confex, enables Koelnmesse to offer a wide range of event formats for trade fairs, congresses, exhibitions, and events with up to 6,000 participants. A large suspended staircase guides visitors coming from the south up to Confex Plaza at the entrance level. Confex’s striking, building-height arcades protect visitors against the elements as they enter the spacious foyer with its central escalators. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the southern facade are another highlight, offering unforgettable views of the Rhine and Cologne Cathedral.
Thanks to mobile partition walls, the Confex Hall can be divided into two or three separate areas. Both upper floors are home to 22 conference rooms of different sizes. Confex can also be accessed from the West Entrance, allowing multiple independent events to be held simultaneously.
Confex has been certified Platinum by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). Along with other sustainability measures, solar panels on the roof supply Confex with fossil-free energy.
Here you can see the room capacities of the Confex on the homepage of Koelncongress.
Images: HG Esch