Alexandra Voss

The aim of this diploma design was to develop new ideas of how to use present and historical ‚layers‘ of a site and its environment in order to form rewarding/interesting concepts of architecture and free space. The site in question is located in the south of Cologne, just between Sachsenring and Karthäuserwall.On a long green space of 400 x 34 meters one finds the remains of the mediaeval city-wall and the moat of Cologne. Alongside this site there ran the Prussian fortification - begun in 1815 - with its star-shaped ground plan upon which this diploma design is based. The ring-shaped fortification around Cologne had eleven forts. The former moat and the rampart are picked up in this concept. The moat runs over the entire length of the site in a breadth of 10m and a depth of 4 m, the rampart extends over the remaining area. The remains of the mediaeval city-wall (a)rise on top of the rampart.

The building is located beneath the street level and opens to the moat. The concept is affected by the prolongation of the diagonal axes of the Prussian fortification over the site. These axes are relocated above/upon and inside the building and compose the network of walkways on the site. Moreover they cut through the rampart and thus creates a number of compartments. The result of this being a folded landscape. In inverted form this pattern reappears in the floor the building.

The idea is a „Wellnes-Center“ which allows the visitors to swim, to bathe and sun-bathe, and just to relax in any way they want to. It creates a city-oasis for stressed Cologne residents.The different areas such as sauna, lounge and sanitarian rooms are located in seperated ‚boxes‘ which are distributed upon the folded ‚water-landscape‘.

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