The new buildings for the research and administration of the Römisch-Germanisches Museum, the Kurienhaus der Hohen Domkirche (Curia house of the high cathedral) and the Kölner Stadtmuseum, will redefine the urban space on the baseplate of Cologne´s cathedral and generate a place where Cologne´s history can be presented and explored from diverse perspectives.
We united the requested functions in two typologically distinct structures, the powerful mass of the Stadtmuseum, with its perforated concrete-stone facade and large openings, which concludes the cathedral´s base to the south-east and the slender, rythmically structured administrations building for the Römisch Germanische Museum and the Kurienhaus (Curia house) that sits on the border between the cathedral´s base and the historic city centre.
A new museum forecourt where the buildings´ main entrances are located is created, tying the Römisch Germanische Museum and the new buildings to an ensemble together. The roman excavations under the cathedral´s base, that form the historic foundation of the two museums, are accessed via a shared lower foyer on the Kurt-Hackenberg-Platz, which is connected to the museums´ foyers by stairs and air spaces.
The Stadtmuseum is organized around a courtyard that will house Cologne´s city model, and is, with the exception of two building cores, column-free in order to enable a flexible design of exhibitions. Doubleheight spaces with large panorama windows in the building´s corners permit the display of special exhibits in direct relation to the cathedral and the city.
The buildings are arranged in such a way that important lines of sight to Cologne´s cathedral and the inner city are preserved and connected to the new buildings. Source and images Courtesy of staab Architekten.