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Gürzenich (Reconstruction)
Martinastrasse 29, Cologne
1949 - 1955
The
Gürzenich was built in the 15th century as a warehouse, large store and
festive location. In the 19th century, the facility was expanded,
and used especially for muscal events from then on. During the Second World War, the building was completely gutted as a consequence of
the allied air raids. Only the exterior walls of the gothic building were preserved, the remains of the 19th century addition were completely removed.
In the immediate vicinity, located on the so-called Quatermarkt, the church St. Alban was also completely destroyed, with exception of the outer walls.
The city of Cologne organized a competition for the reconstruction of the Gürzenich among the Cologne-based architects in 1949, a total of 69 designs wer submitted.
The spatial requests, as well as the available parcel were expanded. The desing by Rudolf Schwarz and Josef Bernard and another competition project
were awarded each a second prize. The competition draft of Rudolf Schwarz and Josef Bernard was divided into three areas: the old Gürzenich, the foyer
and a new volume enclosing the ruins of St. Alban. In the old festive house were located two restaurants, the wardrobe and a grand ballroom on the upper floor.
To the exterior are located some small shops. Centerpiece of the competition design was the two storey foyer, seperating the old Gürzenich from the new
planned building. Entrances to the foyer were intended from the Martinstrasse and the Quatermarkt. The Foyer was structured by a series of columns.
Four large curved stairs would have given access to the upper foyer, which opens to the Ballroom.
The commission was granted to Rudolf Schwarz and Josef Bernard in 1951 on the base of reduced spatial requirements, so that the building volume
to the north of St. Alban was omitted. On the other hand, the ruins of the church were now included in the ensemble. The realized complex consists of the
old Gürzenich, the new building volume, and the ruins of St. Alban. A wine restaurant and the cloakroom are located on the ground floor of the old building.
There is a gallery in the mezzanine, opening to the hall by four balconies. The ceiling of the ballroom on the upper floor is structured by transverse ribs for
acoustic considerations. The facades of the old Gürzenich are largely restored, and the building is covered by a hipped roof. As in the competition design,
the foyer is the heart of the whole ensemble, even if it is quite different from the original design. This foyer encloses the ruins of St. Alban, whose bare walls
limit the hall to the north and west. Seven cloverleaf-shaped supports conduct from the entrance at the Martinstrasse to the nearly six-meter-wide staircase.
This staircase is divided into two parallel flights of stairs on a pedestal and give access to the floor of the halls. A side wing of the hall ends on a rounded staircase
which gives access to the so called Isabelle Hall. At the level of the grand ballroom, the floor of the foyer runs along the rising walls of the ruined church,
forming a gallery since the floor is distanced from the historic walls. This gallery is supported by slender pillars, which are running in a curved line from the secondary
to the main hall on the ground floor. Large windows in the walls of the church St. Alban are providing views into the ruins, where are kneeling the grieving parents
of Käthe Kollwitz in the copy by Ewald Mataré as a memorial in between the empty arches. On the exterior the facade of the Isabelle Hall, which is oriented towards
the Martinstrasse, is structured by four delicate marble columns in front of the window wall. The west elevation, which stretches between the old building and
the ruined church, is structured by the grid of a reinforced concrete skeleton. The surface in the middle is made of a concrete tracery which is filled with stained glass.
The lateral sufraces are infilled with rubble brick stones. On the east façade, as well structured by a reinforced concrete skeleton, the glazed front of the
Isabelle Hall is protruding. Elongated windows, arranged in a elevated position, relate to secondary rooms. A rich equipment was realized by various visual artists.
In the second half of the eighties, a competition was launched to extend the Gürzenich and convert it into a convention center. For financial reasons,
the project was not implemented. But the Gürzenich was repaired and made usable for conventions. Today, the building is still in a reasonable condition.
and used especially for muscal events from then on. During the Second World War, the building was completely gutted as a consequence of
the allied air raids. Only the exterior walls of the gothic building were preserved, the remains of the 19th century addition were completely removed.
In the immediate vicinity, located on the so-called Quatermarkt, the church St. Alban was also completely destroyed, with exception of the outer walls.
The city of Cologne organized a competition for the reconstruction of the Gürzenich among the Cologne-based architects in 1949, a total of 69 designs wer submitted.
The spatial requests, as well as the available parcel were expanded. The desing by Rudolf Schwarz and Josef Bernard and another competition project
were awarded each a second prize. The competition draft of Rudolf Schwarz and Josef Bernard was divided into three areas: the old Gürzenich, the foyer
and a new volume enclosing the ruins of St. Alban. In the old festive house were located two restaurants, the wardrobe and a grand ballroom on the upper floor.
To the exterior are located some small shops. Centerpiece of the competition design was the two storey foyer, seperating the old Gürzenich from the new
planned building. Entrances to the foyer were intended from the Martinstrasse and the Quatermarkt. The Foyer was structured by a series of columns.
Four large curved stairs would have given access to the upper foyer, which opens to the Ballroom.
The commission was granted to Rudolf Schwarz and Josef Bernard in 1951 on the base of reduced spatial requirements, so that the building volume
to the north of St. Alban was omitted. On the other hand, the ruins of the church were now included in the ensemble. The realized complex consists of the
old Gürzenich, the new building volume, and the ruins of St. Alban. A wine restaurant and the cloakroom are located on the ground floor of the old building.
There is a gallery in the mezzanine, opening to the hall by four balconies. The ceiling of the ballroom on the upper floor is structured by transverse ribs for
acoustic considerations. The facades of the old Gürzenich are largely restored, and the building is covered by a hipped roof. As in the competition design,
the foyer is the heart of the whole ensemble, even if it is quite different from the original design. This foyer encloses the ruins of St. Alban, whose bare walls
limit the hall to the north and west. Seven cloverleaf-shaped supports conduct from the entrance at the Martinstrasse to the nearly six-meter-wide staircase.
This staircase is divided into two parallel flights of stairs on a pedestal and give access to the floor of the halls. A side wing of the hall ends on a rounded staircase
which gives access to the so called Isabelle Hall. At the level of the grand ballroom, the floor of the foyer runs along the rising walls of the ruined church,
forming a gallery since the floor is distanced from the historic walls. This gallery is supported by slender pillars, which are running in a curved line from the secondary
to the main hall on the ground floor. Large windows in the walls of the church St. Alban are providing views into the ruins, where are kneeling the grieving parents
of Käthe Kollwitz in the copy by Ewald Mataré as a memorial in between the empty arches. On the exterior the facade of the Isabelle Hall, which is oriented towards
the Martinstrasse, is structured by four delicate marble columns in front of the window wall. The west elevation, which stretches between the old building and
the ruined church, is structured by the grid of a reinforced concrete skeleton. The surface in the middle is made of a concrete tracery which is filled with stained glass.
The lateral sufraces are infilled with rubble brick stones. On the east façade, as well structured by a reinforced concrete skeleton, the glazed front of the
Isabelle Hall is protruding. Elongated windows, arranged in a elevated position, relate to secondary rooms. A rich equipment was realized by various visual artists.
In the second half of the eighties, a competition was launched to extend the Gürzenich and convert it into a convention center. For financial reasons,
the project was not implemented. But the Gürzenich was repaired and made usable for conventions. Today, the building is still in a reasonable condition.