An urban garden in Cologne

Whether it's happy evenings on the terrace, resting in the shade of old trees or children playing soccer on the lawn - this city garden in Cologne is full of life.



The basic idea of the garden concept is clearly defined: minimalist structures combined with optimal functionality of the sub-areas.




At the center of the garden are a green lawn and a shimmering blue pool, flanked by staggered wooden decks with hardy palm trees. The extensive planting offers alternating highlights throughout the year with flowers and autumn colors. The inner courtyard with a water basin at the front of the building is shaded by umbrella-shaped trees: an attractive seating area, especially in the evening sun.

The 660 m² site surrounds the modern building. The simple cubature of the residential building has a direct effect on the design. Axial references create a direct connection between the interior and exterior spaces, while the surrounding white walls tie in with the building and frame the garden area at the same time. All roof surfaces are extensively greened.



At the center of the garden is a flat lawn and a glittering blue pool.

It is flanked by staggered wooden decks with hardy palm trees that invite you to sunbathe in Mediterranean flair. The extensive structured planting offers alternating highlights throughout the year thanks to the variety of flowers and autumn colors. Great importance was attached to preserving the existing trees during the planning phase. Native wild shrubs such as wild strawberry, wild garlic and foxglove now grow under the old pines and birches in the rear garden area.



The inner courtyard at the front of the building is structured by umbrella-shaped Koelreuteria, which provide both privacy and light shade for an attractive seating area in summer. The tranquil water basin is connected in a straight line to the pool and offers bathing and drinking opportunities for birds and a habitat for dragonflies thanks to the staggered edges at the back.



The garden impresses with its reduced color scheme and the restriction to a few selected materials. From the representative entrance area to the inner courtyard with water basin to the spacious terrace and pool surround: only regional graywacke was used in various formats.



In addition to the high aesthetic standards, the robust and easy-care handling of the house garden is of great importance. The intensive technical equipment, such as the automatic irrigation system and pool technology, are concealed and integrated into the overall design.

The discreet lighting concept enables various lighting scenarios. This creates a very special atmosphere in the evening.



This garden was honored with an award at the North Rhine-Westphalian LandscapeArchitecturePrize in 2008.