The design entered in the competition for concepts for the new Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) building in Cologne-Deutz comprises an 88-m high, sculptural, solitary building, which is built in the typology of an atrium skyscraper, and a 6-storey cross bar that forms an ensemble that fits within the urban planning context of the surrounding area. The first significant indentation in the atrium skyscraper structure appears at the eave height of the “Constantinhöfe” (22.5 m), while the volumes of additional, multi-storey, open spaces are cropped every four storeys rotationally around the building, which gives the offices located next to the atrium expansive views. By deliberately compacting the dimensions of the building, about 2/3 of the building lot can be freed up for an urban forecourt as well as a green district square, so that members of the public can use these open spaces. The structure of the LVR house consists of four load-transferring towers and a construction grid (also congruent with the façade structure) of 1.35 m, whereby the absence of support columns for the floors allows the maximum flexibility in terms of usage. The new LVR house, which displays different degrees of transparency and façades depending upon the viewpoint from which it is observed, forms an animate and integral building block within the Cologne-Deutz urban landscape.
