Ottoplatz, Cologne-Deutz

Ottoplatz is flanked by buildings that differ greatly from each other in their urban spatial effect. In order to support the spatial effect of the square, it is proposed to combine the square areas with a uniform pavement and to relate them more strongly to the surrounding buildings. Each building is also assigned its own partial area as a special entreé situation.

Additional tree plantings supplement the missing spatial edges and mediate between the different building heights. The most striking design element on the town square is an elongated piece of seating furniture. It forms an island in the southern third of the central square area.

While the Cologne-Deutz station building with its sculpturally structured and symmetrical cubature emphasizes the square in its longitudinal orientation, the planned high-rise building on the eastern side of the square has a strongly vertical spatial effect. From the station building, a symmetrical axis is also established across the square, the northern endpoint of which is emphasized by the station dome. Since the buildings have little reference to each other due to their location and their formulation, Ottoplatz lacks clear spatial boundaries in places.

In order to support the spatial effect of the square, it was proposed to combine the square areas with a uniform pavement and to relate them more strongly to the surrounding buildings. The square area will be raised by two steps compared to the surrounding area.

In the transverse direction of the square, the structure of the pavement picks up the building lines of the surrounding buildings and thus links them more strongly to the square area. This structure also integrates the square furniture and the lighting.

In the longitudinal direction of the square, the pavement consists of small stone pavers and elongated slab fields of various shell limestones, which take up the color scheme of the surrounding buildings, especially the symmetrical structure of the station building. The change in the play of colours is intended to emphasise the longitudinal direction of the square pavement on the one hand and at the same time to structure it in an exciting way.

Each building is assigned its own partial area as a special entreé situation. This entreé area consists of a lighter, banded pavement. It refers in each case to the entrance situations spatially formulated by the buildings.

While the entreé areas emphasize the entrance situations of the buildings, the remaining square areas are to remain largely coherent and generous.

The most striking design element on the town square is an elongated piece of seating furniture. It forms a lounge island in the southern third of the central square area. The furniture consists of two approx. 25m long seating areas and a floor-flush passage aligned with the historic staircase. The form of the seating elements, consisting of two tilted narrow and wide areas with light backrests, allows for different playfulness.

Slab strips and seating furniture are made of light-coloured concrete, contrasting with the rest of the square surfacing. Basalt, basanite and quartz monzodiorite in different surface finishes were used for the paving.

Landscape Architecture Award in DetailGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2017

Jury verdict: Ottoplatz in Cologne impresses with its clear and unambiguous design language. In the structure of the slab bands and the square furniture, building lines are taken up and emphasised. The jury found most convincing the development and elaboration of the details on and in the square surface, the various shell limestones, which take up the materiality of the buildings.

The square surfacing of three different types of stone, additionally emphasized by different surface treatments, results in a lively interplay of colors; in contrast, the seating furniture and slab bands in light, translucent concrete. At the same time, the slab bands serve as expansion joints in the given construction method; in the longitudinal direction, these are cleverly placed at the end of the slab bands or rhythmically divided between them. A work that captivates in detail under the motto "less is more".