Guiding Architects, tour: Cologne's city centre (Fig. 1)

Guiding Architects, tour: Cologne's city centre (Fig. 2)

Guiding Architects, tour: Cologne's city centre (Fig. 3)

Guiding Architects, tour: Cologne's city centre (Fig. 4)

Guiding Architects, tour: Cologne's city centre (Fig. 5)

Guiding Architects, tour: Cologne's city centre (Fig. 6)

Tour in Cologne:
Cologne's city centre

Cologne was the capital of a Roman province and, in the Middle Ages, the most important centre of trade and pilgrimage north of the Alps. Despite all these superlatives, Cologne's old town is anything but a museum piece. Around the cathedral and along the historic main axes, a wide variety of functions and layers of history meet and overlap. We focus on the newer projects and current plans.

And also on the reconstruction phase, which was decisive for today's cityscape. It has left behind many architectural structures that are still impressive today. The fact that the city centre has retained its medieval, small-scale layout is thanks to Rudolf Schwarz, the general planner at the time. A later contribution to urban renewal was made by Peter Zumthor, who, with Kolumba, created a museum of contemplation on the ruins of a former parish church with Swiss calm and care.