Carlswerk, Köln Mülheim

With the revitalization of the copper works hall, architects and developers are following the trend toward a new culture of renovation: “Climate protection and resource scarcity are making the preservation of existing buildings increasingly important. A paradigm shift is underway: instead of new construction, renovating existing buildings is becoming the norm,” writes the Federal Foundation for Building Culture in its Building Culture Report. But there is no rule without an exception: A renovation of this scale is always a special case requiring customised solutions. After all, the culture of renovation means the high-quality, sustainable, and atmospheric enhancement of existing buildings. The goal is to harmonize the building’s exterior appearance, interior spaces, and new functionality. 

The revitalization of this former industrial building focuses not only on technical performance but, above all, on creating a unique atmosphere inside. Beneath the Glasline skylights, a spacious atrium with a high quality of stay is created. White walls, gray floors, glass facades, and exposed ceiling-mounted installations blend harmoniously in the daylight-flooded hall with the rusted steel beams and the new, delicate glass roof structure. The preservation of existing structures and their careful continuation—this successful symbiosis of old and new—makes the building a prime example of what the Building Culture Report calls for: “In a new culture of renovation, buildings are renovated in a way that adds value not only for today’s generation but for many generations to come.”