The Historic Centre is rewriting the history of Cologne: a unique ensemble of buildings is being planned in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, creating an impressive location for the presentation of the rich history of our city.

The famous Cologne City Museum, the Curia House of the High Cathedral with the unique cathedral archives and the Romano-Germanic Museum with its archaeological treasures will all find a new home here.

By bringing these three institutions together, a strong signal is being sent out highlighting the connection between urban and ecclesiastical culture and history. This in turn generates new opportunities for cooperation between the city and the Cathedral to exploit the cultural potential and widen public appeal.

The modern building complex is one of Cologne's most ambitious construction projects and is located literally in the middle of the Via Culturalis. The new home for 2000 years of Cologne's city history will begin to take shape in 2023. Its scheduled completion date is 2028. The Historic Centre will be a place for communication and understanding, a house of reflection and a symbol of Cologne's identity. Where history becomes visible, it serves both the present and the future.

Design Staab Architekten GmbH / Volker Staab 2016 Competition
Client GbR Historische Mitte
Status in planning
Scheduled completion date 2028
Total floor space 19,655 m2
Use / Concept Building ensemble housing Cologne City Museum, the Curia House of the High Cathedral and the administration centre of the Romano-Germanic Museum

The Dom Carré, consisting of a hotel and luxury shops, is intended to be a space for people to stroll around or simply sit and relax. The Dom Hotel is scheduled to open in 2023.

Owner Zusatzversorgungskasse der bayerischen Gemeinden, represented by the Bavarian Pension Office
Design PFEFFER Architects and Engineers
Roof and facade design Ingenhoven Architects
Status under construction
Completion date 2023 (scheduled)
Use / Concept Hotel, retail
Website domcarre.com

In the heart of Cologne, in a prime location on Roncalliplatz in the north of the old town and virtually next door to the cathedral, a new quarter is being created where people can work, shop and live: the Laurenz Carré. Standing on the historic site of the former church of St. Laurence, this complex covering over 33,000 square metres will mark a new page in Cologne’s history. The future Laurenz Carré consists of six buildings bordering Unter Goldschmied Street, Roncalliplatz and Laurenzplatz, together forming a harmonious whole. With its mix of residential flats, offices, a hotel, shops and restaurants, it is predestined to become a lively urban quarter.

Project developer Gerchgroup
Design northern site kister scheithauer gross architects and city planners
Design southern site caspar.schmitzmorkramer
Status in planning
Scheduled completion 2023/2024
Total floor space 33,000 m2
Use / concept Offices, hotel (incl. integration of the listed Senatshotel), residential, retail, gastronomy
Website laurenzcarre.com

2000 years of city history is given a new home. The "MiQua. LVR-Jewish Museum in the Archaeological Quarter Cologne”, a world-class museum of outstanding cultural diversity, is being built on the Via Culturalis.

The name is short for "Museum in the Quarter", referring to the huge excavation site covering 6,000 m2 in the Archaeological Quarter of Cologne below Rathausplatz. Excavation started in the 1950s and since then a wealth of outstanding treasures have been uncovered and pieced together to create an impressive picture of Cologne's history - especially the Roman period, the Middle Ages and Jewish history. Thanks to the numerous finds, archaeologists have been able to identify the monumental Praetorium where the Roman governor once resided, the medieval Jewish quarter and the Christian Goldsmiths' Quarter. A new museum building is now being constructed on top of these historically sensational archaeological monuments, housing both permanent and temporary exhibition areas. The underground tour will offer unprecedented insights into the underground world, displaying the archaeological finds on site, including the medieval synagogue and a Jewish ritual bath, the Mikveh.

Client City of Cologne (future owner: LVR)
Design northern site Wandel Lorch Architects Competition 2008
Design southern site caspar.schmitzmorkramer
Status under construction
Scheduled completion Spring 2025
Total floor space 1,450 m2
Use / concept Museum of Jewish history, the building is being constructed above the archaeological zone as a "protective structure", illustrating the principle of archaeological layering.
Website miqua.lvr.de

Design Vogt landscape architects
Client City of Cologne
Status Completed in 2018
Total area Approx. 3,500 m²
Concept Central element: "urban garden" with gravelled areas with long benches made of local graywacke sandstone and a "green roof" (inspired by the neighbouring former Bishop's Garden)

Design RMP Stephan Lenzen Landscape Architects
Client City of Cologne
Status in planning
Surface area approx. 6,500 m² (incl. Gürzenichstrasse)
Concept In connection with the redesigning of Gürzenichstrasse, a homogeneous area with high-quality paving and seating made of greywacke sandstone is being created.

Design City of Cologne
Client City of Cologne
Status in planning
Total area 90 metre flight of steps
Concept Linking Elogiusplatz and Klein St. Martin, opening up St. Maria im Kapitol

Place of pilgrimage - landmark - world cultural heritage site

Ever since the relics of the Magi were brought to Cologne, the cathedral has enjoyed a strong power of attraction - even today, the cathedral welcomes tens of thousands of visitors every day and over 6 million annually. For the city of Cologne, the cathedral is quite simply its most important landmark, for the world it is a cultural heritage site and for believers it is a very active place of worship with more masses than any other church in Cologne. The cathedral also houses an important art collection, bringing together and preserving art from over 10 centuries, from the Gero Crucifix to Richter’s window.

koelner-dom.de

Picasso, Pop Art, Contemporary Art and much, much more

The biggest Pop Art collection in Europe, the third largest Picasso collection in the world, one of the most important collections of German Expressionism, outstanding works of the Russian Avant-garde and an excellent collection on the history of photography: Today Museum Ludwig in the City of Cologne possesses one of the most important collections of 20th and 21st century art in the world and is the most visited museum in Cologne. The museum building, including the Philharmonie concert hall, was designed by the architects Busmann + Haberer and opened in 1986.

museum-ludwig.de

Music for Cologne

Since 1986, it has been impossible to imagine the music scene in Cologne without the Kölner Philharmonie. One reason for this is the diversity of its programme, including great symphonic works, jazz sessions, folk and pop events and concerts dedicated to world premières and debuts, lesser known and new works. Kölner Philharmonie has two in-house orchestras, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and the WDR Symphony Orchestra. It can seat over 2,000 guests.

koelner-philharmonie.de

History with a Future

Cologne City Museum tells the history of Cologne from the Middle Ages to the present day. The museum's collection contains over 350,000 objects and between 600 and 1,000 more are added each year. The museum will soon move to the Historic Centre, next door to the Romano-Germanic Museum: Visitors will then be able to experience all of Cologne’s history, stretching back over 2000 years, in one place - a unique opportunity for locals and tourists alike!

Major changes are in store for the Cologne City Museum: in 2021 the museum will leave its premises in the Zeughaus and move to Minoritenstrasse, just a stone's throw away from the main shopping area of Hohe Strasse/Schildergasse. In 2022, the museum will reopen here in the former Franz Sauer department store - with an innovative permanent exhibition that looks at the city's history in a surprising and unusual new light as well as focussing on the city’s present and future!

koelnisches-stadtmuseum.de

Showcase of antiquity

The Romano-Germanic Museum is dedicated to the archaeological heritage of the city from Palaeolithic times to the early Middle Ages. Archaeological finds from all over the city create an impressive picture of over 100,000 years of human settlement in the Rhineland and more than 2,000 years of Cologne's urban development. However, it is the finds from the Roman period in particular that enjoy an international reputation. Through the large panorama window passers-by can admire the monumental tomb of Lucius Poblicius and the world-famous Dionysus Mosaic any time, day or night. The main building on Roncalliplatz is currently closed for major renovation. A selection of some of the most significant items from the collections of the Romano-Germanic Museum can be seen at the Belgian House at Cäcilienstrasse 46, near Neumarkt.

roemisch-germanisches-museum.de

Space for Young Art

Opened in 1973 in the late Gothic Haus Saaleck, the artothek - Space for Young Art offers the contemporary artworks in its collection for loan. This approach gives art lovers the chance to encounter and engage with art in a very private ambience. A wide range of well over 1500 works are available, including Joseph Beuys, Niki de Saint Phalle, Leiko Ikemura and Wolfgang Tillmans. Visitors may take the works home with them for a few weeks for a small fee. At the same time, the artothek - Space for Young Art provides information on current art events. Local and international artists may also exhibit their works in temporary exhibitions in the impressive 50s-style interior.

www.museenkoeln.de/artothek

An original historical site as a place of diversity

Experience two millennia of history on the very spot where it happened. This is what makes the MiQua one of the most extraordinary museums in the world. The museum is being developed by the City of Cologne and will be operated by the Rhineland Regional Council (LVR). In a building designed as a protective cover above the original site, visitors will be guided through 6,000 square metres of archaeological remains including houses, the Roman governor's palace and the Jewish quarter.

miqua.lvr.de

The city's oldest company producing the internationally famous perfume

The modern perfumery business began with Farina's Eau de Cologne. In 1709, the perfumer Farina created the fragrance that made Cologne world-famous as a city of scents. Today, the 8th generation of the Farina family run the Fragrance Museum and produce the famous perfume - according to the original recipe. Daily guided tours in the Fragrance Museum offer authentic insights into over 300 years of fragrance history. As the birthplace of Eau de Cologne, it is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Perfume.

farina.org

Masterpieces from Dürer to van Gogh

At the Wallraf Museum, you can admire masterpieces from 700 years of European art: Cologne's oldest museum not only has one of the most important collections of medieval painting in the world, but also some impressive Baroque paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt and Ribera. It also houses a prestigious collection of 19th century art ranging from Caspar David Friedrich to Vincent van Gogh and thanks to the Fondation Corboud, the museum boasts the most extensive collection of Impressionist art in Germany.

wallraf.museum

The Gürzenich, an imposing building in the heart of Cologne, often called the city's "front parlour", was opened in 1447 and today offers state-of-the-art technology for outstanding cultural events. Six impressive rooms of different sizes provide a dignified setting for stylish ceremonies, congresses, conferences and social events for up to 1,338 guests. The locals love "their" Gürzenich, not only during the carnival season.

koelncongress.de/guerzenich-koeln

Cologne's largest Romanesque church

St. Maria im Kapitol is a place of reflection, not least because of its historic walls, and has a very special aura. The church has only a small congregation of about 500 people, but like all old city parishes, it thrives on people from the surrounding area who come to appreciate the special atmosphere of this place of worship.

Numerous tours are available from different operators. Since relatively few church services are being held here at present, the congregation takes all the more care to preserve the spiritual nature of the building. The parish ensures that it is treated with respect and that it retains its high quality as a place of worship.

maria-im-kapitol.de