Of the Beauty of Storage Buildings

Of the Beauty of Storage Buildings

Seiler Höfe

Since 2009, the former storage buildings of Felten&Guilleaume; rope manufacturers, are the icing on the cake of revitalizing Schanzenstraße in Cologne.

 

Storage buildings have to be functional, not beautiful. Like the buildings erected between 1912 and the 1960s, at the Schanzenstraße Nord industrial area in Cologne-Mühlheim. Located behind a rope manufacturer, used for storing ropes and cables, the up to 70 meters deep and 8.5 meters high halls used to be a rather unpleasant area. Today, they shine in new splendor with a floor area of nearly 12,800 square meters, turning out to be a downright space wonder and an atmospheric highlight.

 

Industrial-creative Ambience

The end of the 80s also determined the end of the rope production in Schanzenstraße. In 2003, the former rope factory was turned into an office building of Bayer, the associated halls were refurbished in 2008. Architects in charge were Trint+Kreuderand were faced with the task of giving the heterogeneous halls, evolved over many years, a standardized face. Where storing used to be the motto once, a place was to be erected, attracting many different tenants towards flexibly changeable rentable areas of 200 and 3000 m². The solution was as simple as it sounds – although it certainly was not. The already existing structure, steel roofs with trapezoid metal sheet, concrete floor, gas concrete and ready-to-use parts, were not considered defects, but a unique industrially-creative environment. So, the ferro-concrete bases as well as the roof constructions were kept as a role model for the nearly monochrome color world and new materials. The complex is divided into numerous buildings.

 

Flexibly divisible Office Areas

The image of Schanzenstraße is characterized by Beletage, building A+B, buildings C + D were erected at the same time as the rope factory, the first stand out especially because of their unusual roof supporting framework. A punch metal interlaced window ribbon wraps itself around the whole complex and connects the individual elements with each other. 14 new courtyards are the contrast to the industrial appearance of the halls, they provide generous lighting and provide exceptional possibilities of retreat to the user. The blend of tenants, evolved through the extreme flexibility of the office areas, consists of production companies via law firms down to designing companies. Architects Trint+Kreuder received the “best architects“ award 2009 for this project along with the Cologne architecture prize 2010. The new Schanzenstraße quarter provides evidence that you can really create something beautiful from stones in your way.

Further projects from Cologne…

Project details

Architect:

Trint + Kreuder d.n.a

Status:

Construction time: 2007-2009

Size:

Floor area: 12,800 m²

Constructor:

Gottfried Eggerbauer

Comments

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admin's picture
admin 2. June 2011 - 10:03

amazing design!!!

admin's picture
admin 2. June 2011 - 10:23

nice... very nice

admin's picture
admin 2. June 2011 - 11:30

Sleek ;)

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admin 2. June 2011 - 14:48

The utilitarian can be so Lovely. Hats-off to Corbusier!

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