Rheinauhafen Cologne

The three "Kranhäuser" (Crane Houses) in Cologne's Rheinauhafen present a free interpretation of El Lissitzkys' 1924 "Wolkenbuegel" and a new typology of high-rise building.

The newly completed "Kranhaus 1" offers the public not just a classical plaza in front of a cubic tower. The pure cube is far more sculpturally resolved and realizes its full volume beyond the ninth floor as a slender 70 meter long
horizontal projection and not as a vertical tower. The promenade leads straight
through the middle of the building.
( 1st place MIPIM Award 2009 Cannes )

With its dynamic shape and its association with the historical cranes in the former harbour area, the "Kranhäuser" stand as a symbol for the architectural commitment of the city at the water.