The redesign of the public realm surrounding the Cologne Archaeological Zone and the new Jewish Museum establishes an elegant, contemporary framework that reconnects the city with its layered past. The project focuses on the reorganization of existing plazas and streets into a coherent sequence of public areas, conceived as part of a broader urban repair. A unified paving material—Greywacke, a local historical stone—creates visual and tactile continuity across the site, weaving together spaces between the Rathaus, the Spanish Building, and the Wallraf-Richartz Museum.

Two distinct plazas emerge: one between the Rathaus and the Spanish Building, and a second between the Jewish Museum and adjacent cultural institutions. Together, these spaces open a direct spatial and symbolic connection between the contemporary city and the buried archaeological remains below—including fragments of the Roman city and the former Jewish Quarter with synagogue and mikveh. A staircase that runs parallel to the new museum extension along Obenmarspforten absorbs the natural height difference between Rathauslaube and Judengasse and enables the creation of a generous elevated plaza. The steps double as informal seating areas, enhancing the site’s public use, while clearly expressing the topographical shifting levels. The result is a new spatial experience that mediates between surface and subsurface, history and present.

Material and detail choices reflect restraint and precision. Seating elements and fixtures in dark concrete and warm brass echo the value and gravity of the historic surroundings without dominating them. The reduced formal language allows historical traces to remain legible and respected. The design cultivates a sense of calm, clarity, and continuity—offering the public a place to pause, reflect, and reconnect with Cologne’s urban memory.

Perspectives © Wandel Lorch Götze Wach Architekten