Buchheimer Weg, Cologne
Buchheimer Weg
Cologne

More space in the same area: new construction for better floor plans with the charm of the 50s.

Buchheimer Weg, Cologne
Buchheimer Weg, Cologne

CLIENT
GAG Immobilien AG, Cologne

COMPLETION
2012

SIZE
51.600 sqm GFA

COLLABORATION
urbane gestalt johannes böttger landschaftsarchitekten, Cologne

AWARDS
Architekturpreis Nordrhein-Westfalen 2015, Bund Deutscher Architekten, award
Kölner Architekturpreis 2014, award
Urban Living Award 2013, nomination
Deutscher Städtebaupreis 2012, award
Modern Atlanta Prize for Green Dwelling 2012, award
Deutscher Bauherrenpreis 2011/2012, award

PHOTOCREDITS
Jens Willebrand (1 - 6)
Christa Lachenmaier (7)

Buchheimer Weg, Cologne

Demolition or modernisation? GAG Immobilien AG from Cologne is facing this question with many of its estates from the 1950s. A poor energy balance sheet, apartments that are too small, lifeless green spaces and a lack of parking spaces prompted GAG to tear down the terraced housing on Buchheimer Weg in the district of Ostheim. On the basis of an analysis of the status quo, ASTOC built an innovative estate in three construction phases in which many of the earlier tenants are living at almost unchanged rental prices. 434 apartments with modern floor plans are attracting new groups of tenants. Functioning neighbourhoods and the identification of residents are at the heart of the socially compatible urban redevelopment. With their silhouette, the structures pick up on traditional housing developments with copious amounts of air and light. Common green spaces create a recreation area between the residential blocks with their striking central kink.

The estate at Buchheimer Weg was created from 1954 to 1958 as part of a bunker removal programme at the gates of the war-torn Rhein metropolis. On the fields of Ostheim, GAG constructed 1037 attractively priced apartments many of which were modernised from 2002 to 2011. In this case, GAG opted to establish a prime address at the heart of the Ostheim estate with a striking new building. Blocks with a central kink provide a framework for spacious playgrounds and tenants’ gardens in the form of an obtuse angle. A café for tenants and a daycare facility enrich the barrier-free residential complex. The spectrum ranges from one-room apartments to large flats for families with several children. A residential home for people with disabilities and a unit for people with dementia extend the potential uses. The subsidised new building increased both the size and the number of apartments. Differently designed open spaces and a network of paths upgrade the entire district.

Buchheimer Weg, Cologne
Buchheimer Weg, Cologne
Buchheimer Weg, Cologne
Buchheimer Weg, Cologne