Laying of the foundation stone
Friedrich and Karl
With today's ceremonial laying of the foundation stone, Bauwens has given the green light for the "Friedrich und Karl" office complex in Cologne's Niehl district. With around 45,000 square meters of office space in a hybrid timber construction, the project sets new standards for sustainable commercial properties in Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia. Over 100 guests attended the event, including project participants, representatives of the City of Cologne, and the future user institution—among them Katja Wilken, President of the Federal Administrative Office.
Urban landmark at the entrance to Cologne
The ensemble, consisting of a total of seven closely interlinked buildings, is being constructed on the land between Boltensternstraße and Friedrich-Karl-Straße in the north of Cologne, at the interface between the residential areas and the harbor area in the Niehl district. The individual structures are connected by a shared ground floor. An open pergola leads the way to a mobility hub with more than 1,000 bicycle parking spaces and car-sharing and electric mobility services.
"In the development, we have consistently focused on the future viability of modern office buildings – with the aim of combining sustainable economic success and ecological responsibility," says Alexander Jacobi, managing partner of the real estate company Bauwens, explaining the approach.
Wood plays a key role in the construction of the space, which has already been fully rented to the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks (BImA). With the exception of the base areas and cores, the six-story buildings are constructed using a type of modern half-timbered construction method and, including the facades, are largely delivered from the factory and assembled on site. An innovative energy concept was developed for this purpose, which supplies the buildings with renewable energy from water and the sun to the greatest possible extent.
