Cologne Architecture City Guide: 15 Historical and Contemporary Projects to Discover in the City of Spires

With its culturally and historically rich context, the city of Cologne, also called Köln by its locals, is considered one of the most important centers in West Germany. Nestled on the banks of the Rhine River, the city unfolds its architectural narrative through the interplay between historical landmarks, and contemporary interventions. In the old town, the medieval Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the tallest cathedral in the world, dominates the skyline. The cityscape is also shaped by the Twelve Romanesque churches of Cologne.

Beyond its historical core, Cologne embraces modernity with structures such as the Kranhaus buildings or Renzo Piano’s Weltstadthaus. The tapestry of architectural styles is further underlined by interventions such as Peter Zumthor’s Kolumba Museum, integrating the ruins of a late-Gothic church destroyed during World War II into a tranquil space dedicated to the contemplation of art and history.

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Read on to discover 15 of Cologne’s historical and contemporary architectural attractions.


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Cologne Cathedral (Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) / Master Gerhard, Master Arnold, Ernst Friedrich Zwirner and more

Address: Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln, Germany

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Cologne Cathedral (Cathedral Church of Saint Peter). Image © Diego Grandi via Shutterstock

Cathedral Square / allmannwappner

Address: Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln, Germany

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Cathedral Square / allmannwappner. Image © Brigida González

Kolumba Museum / Peter Zumthor

Adress: Kolumbastraße 4, 50667 Köln, Germany

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Kolumba Museum / Peter Zumthor. Image © Rasmus Hjortshøj

Neue Direktion Köln / kadawittfeldarchitektur

Address: Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Köln, Germany

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Neue Direktion Köln / kadawittfeldarchitektur. Image © Jens Kirchner

Museum Ludwig / Peter Busmann and Godfrid Haberer

Address: Heinrich-Böll-Platz, 50667 Köln, Germany

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Museum Ludwig / Peter Busmann and Godfrid Haberer. Image © Sova Olena via Shutterstock

Weltstadthaus / Renzo Piano

Address: Nord-Süd-Fahrt, 50667 Köln, Germany

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Weltstadthaus / Renzo Piano. Image © Raimond Spekking under license CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

'St Gertrud Church + Culture / Gottfried Böhm

Address: Krefelder Str. 57, 50670 Köln, Germany

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'St Gertrud Church + Culture / Gottfried Böhm. Image © Elya, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Cologne Bonn Airport / Murphy Jahn

Address: Kennedystraße, 51147 Köln, Germany

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Cologne Bonn Airport / Murphy Jahn. Image Courtesy of Murphy/Jahn

Commercial Building Hohe Strasse 52 / Kuehn Malvezzi

Address: Hohe Str. 52, 50667 Köln, Germany

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Commercial Building Hohe Strasse 52 / Kuehn Malvezzi. Image © Ralph Müller

Roonstrasse Synagogue / Schreiterer & Below

Address: Roonstraße 50, 50674 Köln, Germany

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Roonstrasse Synagogue / Schreiterer & Below. Image © kristof lauwers via Shutterstock

Kranhäuser / BRT Architekten

Adress: Im Zollhafen 18, 50678 Köln, Germany

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Kranhäuser / BRT Architekten . Image © Rolf Heinrich, Köln via Wikipedia under CC BY 3.0

Immanuel Church / Sauerbruch Hutton

Adress: Bonhoefferstraße 10, 51061 Köln, Germany

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Immanuel Church / Sauerbruch Hutton. Image © Thomas Mayer

BAN Educational Landscape / gernot schulz : architektur

Address: Gereonswall 57, 50670 Köln, Germany

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BAN Educational Landscape / gernot schulz : architektur. Image © Stefan Schilling Fotografie

Cologne Oval Offices / Sauerbruch Hutton

Address: Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 72-74, 50968 Köln, Germany

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Cologne Oval Offices / Sauerbruch Hutton. Image © Uwe Aranas via Shutterstock

Parking Garage Facade P22a / wulf architekten

Address: Pfälzischer Ring 105, 50679 Köln, Germany

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Parking Garage Facade P22a / wulf architekten. Image © Tobias Vollmer

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Cite: Maria-Cristina Florian. "Cologne Architecture City Guide: 15 Historical and Contemporary Projects to Discover in the City of Spires" 16 Nov 2023. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/972519/cologne-city-guide-10-projects-you-shouldnt-miss> ISSN 0719-8884

Cologne, Germany . Image © Ilari Nackel via Shutterstock

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