Colonia house

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Colonia house
Colonia house
Colonia house
Basic data
Place: Cologne-Riehl
Opening: 1973
Status : completed
Architect : Henrik Busch
Use / legal
Usage : Residential and commercial units
Jobs : 21 commercial units
Apartments : 352
Owner : Free float ( WEG )
Client : Colonia Insurance , today Axa Group AG
Property management : MÜNCH Wohnungsverwaltung GmbH, Cologne
Technical specifications
Height : 147.0 m
Height to the top: 155.0 m
Floors : 42
Elevators : 4th
Height comparison
Cologne : 2. ( list )
Germany : 18. ( list )
address
City: Cologne
Country: Germany

The Colonia-Haus in Cologne-Riehl is 147 meters (with antenna 155 m) behind the Grand Tower in Frankfurt am Main, which was completed in 2020, and is the second-highest building in Germany , which is mainly used for residential purposes . Until 1976 it was the tallest skyscraper in Germany .

History of origin

The Cologne district of Riehl showed hardly any war damage, so that more systematic development could take place than in the heavily bombed districts. In 1970 the Cologne architect Henrik Busch designed a high-rise building with 45 floors in an exposed location directly on the banks of the Rhine (today's address: An der Schanz 2, 50735 Cologne) . In terms of building law, it is one of the "large special buildings" that require a special fire protection concept . From the planning stage until 1976, it was even the tallest residential building in Europe. 41 of the 45 floors were rented out for residential purposes, the remaining 21 units are for commercial use. Around 1000 people live in the building. It was named after the client and first owner, the Cologne-based Colonia insurance company at the time , who had a neon sign with their company name on the tower .

After the laying of the foundation stone on November 24, 1970, the topping-out ceremony took place on October 20, 1972. The building was ready for occupancy on August 1, 1973 and the 373 units were initially let. The Sparkasse Cologne Bonn opened on August 23, 1973 at building a new branch, which they again joined however 1,991th After Telos Haus & Grund Holding GmbH had acquired the high-rise from the Berliner Bank in March 1996 , it was converted into condominiums . The widely visible advertising lettering “Colonia” was changed to “AXA” in 1998 after the acquisition of Colonia insurance by the French insurance group Axa (May 1997). The name “Colonia-Haus” was retained, however, as the lettering above the house entrance shows.

Technology and equipment

The Colonia house is 147 meters high, including the antennas, it is 155 meters high. The building was the tallest building in Germany between 1973 and 1976; now it is still the tallest German building, which is mainly used for residential purposes. Of the currently 300 tallest skyscrapers in Germany, it ranks 18th. The Cologne University Center , which was completed at the same time, has more residential units (954), but is only 134 meters high. The Colonia house is a prominent point in Cologne's skyline and has 45 floors with a total of 373 units, of which 352 one- and multi-room apartments in sizes from 35 to 118 m² on floors 3 to 41 as well as commercial space on the ground floor, 1st floor and 2nd floor.

There is no central mailbox system - as is usually the case - the mailboxes are arranged on each floor. Up to 800 letters and other items of mail are posted daily in the "50735-25 delivery district". The high-rise has four high-speed elevators for up to 18 people each, garbage chutes on all floors, partial air conditioning in the apartments and additional heating. A multi-storey car park, several bicycle cellars and washing machine rooms with tumble dryers and mangles are connected . A kindergarten is located above the parking deck, and playgrounds are located above the swimming pool. The swimming pool on the ground floor with a view of the Rhine measures 8 × 15 meters, and there is also a separate children's pool. The building also has a Finnish sauna with plunge pool and relaxation room as well as a fitness and table tennis room. The “basement rooms” of the residential units are spread over the first and second basement floor and - unlike usual - the 42nd floor of the building. The publicly bookable event room "Top of Cologne" with an area of ​​119 m² for a maximum of 121 people is located on the 45th floor and offers a panoramic view of 270 degrees.

sightseeing

An inside view of the building and especially the upper floors (view) is not possible for outsiders; A porter watches over the entrance .

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Colonia House  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Colonia House at CTBUH
  2. ↑ The Colonia House, a high-rise residential building from the 1970s. City curator of the city of Cologne, accessed on June 7, 2016 .
  3. ↑ skyscrapercity.com, list of the 300 tallest skyscrapers in Germany
  4. ↑ Kölnische Rundschau of September 19, 2013, You notice how the house moves

Coordinates: 50 ° 57 ′ 38 "  N , 6 ° 58 ′ 55"  E