With its culturally and historically rich context, the city of Cologne, also called Köln by its locals, is considered one of the most important centers in West Germany. Nestled on the banks of the Rhine River, the city unfolds its architectural narrative through the interplay between historical landmarks, and contemporary interventions. In the old town, the medieval Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the tallest cathedral in the world, dominates the skyline. The cityscape is also shaped by the Twelve Romanesque churches of Cologne.
Beyond its historical core, Cologne embraces modernity with structures such as the Kranhaus buildings or Renzo Piano’s Weltstadthaus. The tapestry of architectural styles is further underlined by interventions such as Peter Zumthor’s Kolumba Museum, integrating the ruins of a late-Gothic church destroyed during World War II into a tranquil space dedicated to the contemplation of art and history.
Read on to discover 16 of Cologne’s historical and contemporary architectural attractions.
Cologne Cathedral (Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) / Master Gerhard, Master Arnold, Ernst Friedrich Zwirner and more
Address: Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln, Germany
Cathedral Square / allmannwappner
Address: Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln, Germany
Kolumba Museum / Peter Zumthor
Adress: Kolumbastraße 4, 50667 Köln, Germany
Neue Direktion Köln / kadawittfeldarchitektur
Address: Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Köln, Germany
Museum Ludwig / Peter Busmann and Godfrid Haberer
Address: Heinrich-Böll-Platz, 50667 Köln, Germany
Weltstadthaus / Renzo Piano
Address: Nord-Süd-Fahrt, 50667 Köln, Germany
'St Gertrud Church + Culture / Gottfried Böhm
Address: Krefelder Str. 57, 50670 Köln, Germany
Cologne Bonn Airport / Murphy Jahn
Address: Kennedystraße, 51147 Köln, Germany
Köln-Weidenpesch Church / harris + kurrle architekten bda
Address: Derfflingerstraße 9, 50737 Köln, Germany
Commercial Building Hohe Strasse 52 / Kuehn Malvezzi
Address: Hohe Str. 52, 50667 Köln, Germany
Roonstrasse Synagogue / Schreiterer & Below
Address: Roonstraße 50, 50674 Köln, Germany
Kranhäuser / BRT Architekten
Adress: Im Zollhafen 18, 50678 Köln, Germany
Immanuel Church / Sauerbruch Hutton
Adress: Bonhoefferstraße 10, 51061 Köln, Germany
BAN Educational Landscape / gernot schulz : architektur
Address: Gereonswall 57, 50670 Köln, Germany
Cologne Oval Offices / Sauerbruch Hutton
Address: Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 72-74, 50968 Köln, Germany
Parking Garage Facade P22a / wulf architekten
Address: Pfälzischer Ring 105, 50679 Köln, Germany
You can visit our list of Architecture City Guides.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on November 16, 2023, and updated on September 04, 2023.
