Within the design studio for Cologne's Agrippa quarter open spaces and urban design interventions have been created in order to revaluate the neighbourhood. The Agrippa quarter is one of Cologne’s oldest districts and was part of the Roman city foundation. These roots are hardly visible in today’s urban structure though. Traffic axes cut up the urban coherence at the sides. The existing high-quality architecture, partly listed, forms a random juxtaposition. The public spaces are of inferior design, hardly refer to the buildings and don’t offer any quality of stay.

The concept of ‚Kultur Kreativ Wohnen’ takes up the potential of the lively art and cultural scene which has meanwhile established in the Agrippa quarter. It constitutes the basis for the quarter’s identity formation. Starting at the museums and the library in the north, a framework of new open spaces and additional buildings connects towards the south and tries to strengthen the entire neighbourhood. The goal is to implement an urban quarter, which equally and collectively develops housing and working, art and knowledge. The new distinctive buildings of the quarter receive a matching open space according to their respective idiosyncrasies and uses.

The concise surface structures of the new open spaces aim at reinforcing the different identities and characters of the respective places. New buildings allow the development of an urban mix of uses. That way interesting entrance situation, urban robust squares for events and movement and more quiet areas inside the blocks evolve. The two new building blocks accomodate different uses like housing, a student dorm and commercial units. An art hall with large event space currently requested in Cologne complements the existing cultural uses and shall become the new centre of attraction.