08/07/2021
The 5th Weltstadthaus, the department store building Schildergasse 65-67 in Cologne, was designed by Renzo Piano and opened on September 7, 2005 after a long-standing legal dispute due to deficiencies in the structural analysis of the solid structure, during which the construction work on the half-finished shell was suspended. The north-south route is being built over with the Weltstadthaus.
Facade construction of the Weltstadthaus
The building, which in its shape is reminiscent of a ship, but is also compared to a stranded whale and was therefore christened by the Cologne whale, comprises 14,400 m² of retail space over a length of 130 m and a width of 60 m. The atrium offers one View over five floors at a height of 34 m. The 4,900 m² glass facade is elaborately constructed from 6,800 individual panes and 66 laminated wood beams made from Siberian larch. Historical models can be found in the wood / glass constructions of orangeries and the large steel / glass greenhouses of the 19th century such as Kew Gardens in London.
The north side facade consists of 4,400 m² natural stone; A total of 3,400 m² stone floor (Stein St. Bartholomae, Portugal) and 10,800 m² parquet were laid.
