Location
Cologne, Germany
Typology
Mixed-use
Year
2020
Status
completed
Client
PROXIMUS REAL ESTATE AG
Size
12,300 m² GFA
Read more
Once a cinema and later a television studio, the CAPITOL in Cologne has been reinvented as a four-star design hotel, transforming a long-neglected courtyard into a lively green destination. The six-storey ensemble introduces 186 guest rooms and 1,800 square metres of retail space, distributed between the restored historic building and a new courtyard extension. Facing the Hohenzollernring, the reconfigured façade and staggered terraces establish a layered architectural presence, while generous glazing brings daylight deep into the structure. The intervention reclaims an underused site within the dense city, adding vitality and public value where urban fabric had previously fallen dormant.
At its centre, the landscaped courtyard forms the project’s defining gesture. More than a backdrop, it acts as a sheltered green spine – improving air quality, buffering noise, and moderating the microclimate. The courtyard creates openness and calm, linking hospitality and retail with a natural core that invites visitors and locals alike. By layering adaptive reuse with new construction, the project demonstrates how overlooked spaces can be upgraded into meaningful density, enriching the city while conserving resources. The CAPITOL thus merges architecture, commerce, and landscape into a confident civic contribution, showing how transformation of forgotten inner blocks can generate both ecological and cultural value.
Location
Cologne, Germany
Typology
Mixed-use
Year
2020
Status
completed
Client
PROXIMUS REAL ESTATE AG
Size
12,300 m² GFA
Read more
