Waidmarkt

Cologne, Germany

The urban planning guiding idea is based on the parameters of urban block, square and street. The planned development of Waidmarkt is composed of three main elements: a six-story block edge along Tel-Aviv-Strasse and Blaubach, a group of four- to eight-story point buildings in the inner block area, and the existing high-rise building on Waidmarkt, which is to be redeveloped. With the exception of the high-rise building, which has a distinctive urban design, all of the existing buildings on the site will be demolished.
On the basis of the urban development concept, living spaces for the highest demands will be created. Living and working will be linked in an urban sense and benefit from each other.
The individual buildings form an urban block that responds to its surroundings with its different frontages. Closed edges trace the street lines, more open rows border the Waidmarkt.
The design strengthens the surrounding urban spaces, in particular it supports the figure of the Waidmarkt and forms an appropriate counterpart in height to the church of St. George. The small-scale arrangement in the row of buildings emphasizes the intimate character of the square. The granulation of the volumes continues in the interior of the block, where it forms street and square spaces as access for the offices and outdoor space for the residential development.
By closing the outer edges, the block perimeter protects the residential areas inside from noise. Internal streets and paths run through the block as access to the individual houses. They support the neighborhood concept and strengthen the individual living quality in the individual houses.