Bastei (Cologne)

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Bastei (2008)

The Bastei is a building in Cologne-Neustadt-Nord , located at the northern end of the Cologne Ring, directly on the banks of the Rhine . Since its opening on October 22, 1924, the building with a floor space of 300 m² has served as a viewing restaurant.

History and architecture

Statue on the Rhine side

What is striking about the building in the expressionist style , built in 1924 by the Cologne architect Wilhelm Riphahn and modified in 1927, is the unusual superstructure that protrudes eight meters over the banks of the Rhine. The upper floor, made of light steel construction, is based on an existing Prussian caponier (defensive space in fortification trenches, here the Rhine), which Riphahn enlarged towards the street. The center of the jagged roof is crowned by a pointed hood open on the inside. With the Bastei, Riphahn achieved a breakthrough in terms of style and profession. When it was first created, the architecture was controversial among Cologne residents. There were fears that the city skyline could be negatively affected.

After the completion, however, the enthusiasm among the population was great. Architectural critic Heinrich de Fries wrote in 1926 that the building "merged with the landscape, the river and the bridges, apparently almost completely freed from the base from which it grew." Joachim Ringelnatz , who had often stayed in Cologne, dedicated his poem Cologne seen from the bastion in 1932 to the bastion : “I call the waiter over with a smack. He doesn't want to understand me. I wish: The bastion would now like to turn like a carousel. "

After severe war damage in 1943, the bastion was restored by Riphahn in 1958 to the state of 1927 and reopened by the mayor of Cologne, Theo Burauen . On December 4, 1958, Hans Herbert Blatzheim opened a restaurant here that was awarded a Michelin star . In 1976, the recipe collection Die Bastei - Delicious Secrets Laid out . In 1985 the building was completely renovated. The post-war bastion has an illuminated trident on the top of the roof.

use

The structure with a capacity of up to 200 people has served as a viewing restaurant since its opening. Since 1997 the bastion can only be rented for events. In April 2017, KölnKongress-Gastronomie GmbH took over the management from the Blatzheim family.

literature

  • Riphahn, Wilhelm & Caspar Maria Grod, Cologne: "The Bastion" in Cologne . In: Modern cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues. Exterior and interior design. Illustrated book, Verlag Ernst Pollak, Berlin 1928, pp. 129-134.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bastei (Cologne). In: arch INFORM ; Retrieved December 1, 2009.
  2. ^ Wilhelm Riphahn . In: Wasmuthsmonthshefte für Baukunst und Städtebau 9, Heft 4, 1925, p. 136
  3. ↑ Entry on the bastion on Cologne's banks of the Rhine (panorama restaurant on a former caponier / Rhine bastion) in the " KuLaDig " database of the Rhineland Regional Association , accessed on September 8, 2017.
  4. ↑ Anja Katzmarzik: Jochen Blatzheim says goodbye - Henriette Reker pleads for the bastion to be saved. In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. March 1, 2017, accessed September 8, 2017 .

Web links

Commons : Bastei  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 50 ° 57 ′ 0.2 ″  N , 6 ° 58 ′ 0.5 ″  E