Flora Cologne
The Flora Köln is a palatial building in the style of historicism that was opened in 1864 and was originally built as a palm house with a glass roof. The building, which was completely gutted from 2011 to 2014 and rebuilt as an event hall with a historic silhouette , is located in the Botanical Garden in Cologne and extends over a total area of 1870 m². Today it is owned by the KölnKongress and is used for conferences, concerts and social events.
history
The Cologne architects Max Nohl and Joseph Felten planned the flora based, among other things, on the Crystal Palace in London. The historicist architectural style combines Arabic and Moorish style elements with Romanesque round arches and Renaissance echoes. The building was designed as a palm house with a large glass roof supported by a cast-iron, barrel-shaped construction. It was opened on August 14, 1864.
The Flora building was badly damaged during World War II . The barrel roof made of cast iron was removed after the war, and the building was only covered on one floor with a tiled hipped roof; Small tent roofs were built on the outer towers. The facade of the first floor was largely preserved on three sides.
In June 1980 the flora was added to the list of monuments. In 1995 the ancillary rooms in the Festhaus were renovated and the catering area was expanded to include a so-called park salon.
In June 2006 the City Council of Cologne handed over the operation of the Flora to KölnKongress GmbH. The Flora was closed in 2009 due to structural defects. The Cologne City Council then decided to carry out a general renovation and had the building rebuilt and expanded from 2011 to 2014 based on the historical model. In the course of this renovation, the Flora was given a crossed barrel roof, which was no longer erected as a glass dome, but as a closed metal roof.
The social association VdK North Rhine-Westphalia awarded Flora in April 2008 with the plaque “Our thanks to the builder” for exemplary and barrier-free building.
Rooms and capacities
Today the building is used for events. The flora has 6 rooms; the ballroom on the ground floor can accommodate up to 900 people.
literature
- Stephan Anhalt, Gerd Bermbach: The Cologne Flora, Festival House and Botanical Garden , Cologne 2014
- koelnarchitektur.de - Ira Scheibe: Off to the botany!