Flora in Cologne

The listed building underwent general refurbishment between 2007 and 2014 during which the original structure was restored. The cross-shaped barrel roof which originally covered the building, magnificent in its heyday, will also be reinstated as part of the conversion. The refurbishment restores the original charm of the building, taking the constraints of the conservation order into account and adapts the building to the modern-day requirements of safety technology, barrier freedom and sustainability.

The Stuttgart firm of architects Egger Kolb Architekten supervised the demolition of incongruous additions, and replaced them with a glazed extension containing the necessary ancillary rooms and hall spaces on the first floor. Next to the listed building fabric, it communicates in an architectural language which is clearly of its time. The main entrance is accessed from the car park level and is therefore in the basement of the building. The new extension contains a foyer which can also be closed off and complements the historic hall on the ground floor. Further event rooms are housed on the first floor and roof space of the extension. An attractive domed hall now inhabits the space underneath the cross-shaped barrel roof. The basement of the extension contains a large production kitchen which is linked to satellite kitchens that serve the halls directly. The corner towers were converted into staircases, the floors are interconnected by central panoramic lifts. The terraces adjacent to the building were redesigned and equipped for gastronomic use.

GU solution: panic locks, automatic sliding doors