Carré Belge, Cologne, Germany

The project

The Carré Belge is a building complex in the middle of Cologne city center, built on the site of the former “Capitol” TV production facility, known as the former home of the “Harald Schmidt Show” and “TV Total.” The heart of the project is the construction of a new boutique hotel in the inner courtyard.

Implementation

The guiding idea of the architectural firm ingenhoven architects for the new district was the image of a staggered pyramid with intense greenery. 114 predominantly native trees and bushes grow on cleverly staggered terraces and roofs and will reach a height of up to six meters in the coming years. Urban greenery is not only a design element, but also regulates air humidity and binds dust particles - so it is also an urban design response to increasing climate change.

The textured matrix

In line with this, they also decided on a natural look for the facade of the boutique hotel - and used our 2/163 Fraser matrix from the RECKLI SELECT series over 2,700 m². The wooden texture with unevenly abutted boards takes up the greenery, emphasizes the connection between the urban environment and nature, all while enlivening the facade.