Buildings & Institutions in Cologne

Academy of Media Arts Cologne

since 1990

4.1(20)· Google

North Rhine-Westphalia's art and film school for media arts, founded in 1989, with interdisciplinary diploma programmes in the heart of Cologne.

Amtsgericht Köln

2.4(19)· Google

The largest court in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany's second-largest district court after Munich — also handling cases from Cologne/Bonn Airport.

Arnoldshof Estate

Bocklemünd's oldest surviving farmstead – a listed heritage complex now home to a country-style residential estate.

Benedictine Convent of Cologne

Active convent of the Benedictine Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament in Cologne-Raderberg, founded in 1890 and still home to a community of nuns today.

Blauer Hof

Housing estate in Cologne-Buchforst modeled on Dutch courtyard housing, famous for its blue-toned courtyard façades.

Catholic University of Applied Sciences North Rhine-Westphalia

since 1971

3.5(63)· Google

Church-affiliated university of applied sciences for social work and healthcare professions, sponsored by four dioceses across Aachen, Cologne, Münster, and Paderborn.

CBS University of Applied Sciences

since 1993

Private Cologne university of applied sciences, formed in 2025 from the merger of CBS and EU|FH – ten campuses, around 46 programs in business, social work, education, health.

Christophorus-Kapelle (Longerich)

Denkmalgeschützte Militärkapelle von 1957 auf dem Gelände der Lüttich-Kaserne, benannt nach dem Schutzpatron der Reisenden.

Cologne Crosiers (Schildergasse), Cologne

A Crosier Order house on Schildergasse founded in 1309, famed for its surviving library of 97 medieval manuscripts, the "Libelli Rhenani."

Cologne Justice Center

105-metre court tower in Cologne-Sülz housing the local and regional courts plus the public prosecutor's office on Luxemburger Straße.

Cologne Prison (Justizvollzugsanstalt Köln)

Prison in Cologne-Ossendorf whose 1.3 km wall blends so well into the neighborhood it's barely recognizable as a jail.

Cologne sewerage system

since 1890

4.8(16)· Google

A sewer network with Roman roots — and the Kronleuchtersaal, an underground chamber where concerts are held.

Cologne University of Music and Dance

since 1925

4.5(172)· Google

One of Europe's largest music academies and Germany's second-oldest, founded in 1845 after Würzburg.

Cologne Water Gauge

4.4(73)· Google

On the left bank of the Rhine in Cologne's northern old town, the Pegel Köln has recorded the river's water level at river kilometre 688 for centuries.

Cologne-Merkenich Combined Heat and Power Plant

4.4(9)· Google

At 250 metres, this power plant's chimney is Cologne's second-tallest structure after the Colonius tower — and the city's primary source of district heating for its northern districts.

Colonia-Haus

since 1973

4.3(151)· Google

Germany's second-tallest residential skyscraper, right on the Rhine in Riehl — at 155 m with antenna, almost as tall as Cologne Cathedral (157 m).

Congress-Centrum Koelnmesse

A sprawling convention and events complex at the Koelnmesse with more than 19,500 seats and around 40 flexible rooms.

Court Building at Appellhofplatz (Appellhof)

since 1893

2.7(36)· Google

Cologne's oldest court building – a monument to Rhenish legal history, from the Court of Appeal through the Nazi-era special courts to today's seat of the administrative and fiscal courts.

Dellbrücker Hauptstraße 143

Residential and commercial building from around 1907, blending Art Nouveau and Historicism with asymmetry and applied half-timbering.

Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln

since 1947

4.7(278)· Google

Germany's only sports university and, by institutes, disciplines and student numbers, the largest of its kind worldwide, at Müngersdorf Sports Park.

Deutz Gas Engine Factory

since 1864

On this historic industrial site in Cologne-Mülheim, regarded as the „birthplace of global motorisation“, the raum13 cultural initiative is now at work – amid listed buildings such as the Möhring Pavilion at the Mülheim harbour.

Disch-Haus

Cologne office and commercial building regarded as a major landmark of New Objectivity architecture, built on the site of a former luxury hotel.

Domforum

4.4(262)· Google

Located on the Domplatte opposite the cathedral's west portal, the Domforum serves as the visitor centre of Cologne Cathedral and as a meeting and events centre of the city's Catholic Church.

Excelsior Hotel Ernst

since 1863

4.6(1,842)· Google

Storied five-star grand hotel dating from 1863, standing right beside Cologne Cathedral and family-owned for six generations.

Fettenhof Farmstead

A four-sided farmstead in Cologne-Bocklemünd, first recorded in 1170, that later housed traveling young craftsmen for about three decades.

Former Straw Hat Factory Silberberg & Mayer

Listed 1912/13 factory building in Cologne-Sülz, its wings arranged around a white-tiled skylit hall.

Funkhaus Köln (Deutschlandfunk Tower)

since 1978

The 102-metre Funkhaus Köln in the Raderthal district has housed the studios and editorial offices of Deutschlandfunk since 1979. Listed as a protected monument since 2024, the tower with its unusual suspended structure can be explored on regular public guided tours.

Galeria Cologne Hohe Strasse

1912–1914 department store where Germany's first-ever department store escalator went into operation in 1925.

Gereon-Kaserne

since 1937

4.3(52)· Google

Bundeswehr barracks in Cologne housing the military leadership assessment centre — renamed from Mudra-Kaserne in 2022.

Gereonshaus

Monumental office building of 1909/10 by Carl Moritz, now home to the German Association of Cities and Towns.

Gerling Ring-Karree

since 2001

4.1(280)· Google

A 55-metre office tower on Hohenzollernring designed by Norman Foster — with a hidden lake and garden reserved exclusively for residents.

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

since 1907

Germany's national aeronautics and space research centre is headquartered in Cologne-Porz — and its European Astronaut Centre is where ESA's astronauts train.

Gut Mielenforst

Former knight's estate at the edge of Königsforst, its Neo-Renaissance manor house now the heart of a residential complex.

Hansahochhaus

since 1925

3.9(785)· Google

Cologne's first skyscraper from 1925 — briefly the tallest building in Europe at completion, built in the Brick Expressionist style.

Haus Balchem

The only surviving Baroque house in the Severinsviertel, its statement bay window on Corinthian columns still turns heads on Severinstraße today.

Haus Hindenburg

Neoclassical corner building at Schildergasse and Neumarkt in Cologne, a listed historic monument since 1993.

Haus Neuerburg

Brick building on Gülichplatz disguised as two townhouses, with a stair tower in the courtyard echoing Cologne's old patrician houses.

Haus Saaleck

Medieval Cologne townhouse with late-Gothic corner turrets – today home to the city's Artothek, a lending library for art.

Haus zum Maulbeerbaum

Cologne's only surviving High Baroque façade — now built into a new hotel.

Heizkraftwerk Köln-Niehl

3.0(13)· Google

Rheinenergie's gas-fired combined heat and power plant in Niehl — supplying Cologne's city centre with district heating, with Germany's largest heat pump planned next door.

Herkules-Hochhaus

since 1972

3.6(157)· Google

Nicknamed the 'Parrot House' for its vivid coloured façade, this 1972 residential tower in Neuehrenfeld stands 102 m tall — Cologne's ninth-highest high-rise.

Historical Archive with Rhenish Image Archive

since 1857

5.0(1)· Google

Germany's largest municipal archive — collapsed during subway construction in 2009, reopened in a new building at Eifelwall in 2021.

Immanuelkirche (Köln-Longerich)

1962/63 errichtete evangelische Kirche mit über 35 Meter langem Schiff und 450 Plätzen, die der ganzen Longericher Gemeinde ihren Namen gab.

Industriehof

Landmarked 1923 office and commercial building in Cologne, built by architect Jacob Koerfer on his own initiative.

Isenburg

Moated castle on a water-encircled island in Cologne-Holweide, with a 16th-century tower and an 18th-century manor house.

Jewish Welfare Center

3.6(5)· Google

Jewish social facility of the Cologne Synagogue Community in Neuehrenfeld — housed in the historic buildings of the former Israelite Asylum for the Sick and Elderly.

Kartäuserwallbad

4.0(23)· Google

Indoor pool in Cologne's Südstadt – a course and teaching pool for school and club swimming only.

Kaufhaus Isay

Listed early-20th-century office and commercial building in Cologne, built 1911–1913 by Helbig & Klöckner for textile wholesaler Gebrüder Isay.

Kiesgruben Paulsmaar

since 1991

5.0(2)· Google

A fenced-off Cologne nature reserve with three former gravel-pit lakes southeast of the city, leased to an angling club and closed to the public.

Klosterhof (Cologne-Dünnwald)

4.0(3)· Google

The Klosterhof in Cologne-Dünnwald is the surviving, listed working estate of the former Dünnwald monastery; its eastern wing today serves as a residential and office building.

Köln Arcaden

Cologne's first shopping mall on the right bank of the Rhine, built on the site of a former chemical plant in Kalk.

Köln Hauptbahnhof

since 1859

4.0(8,534)· Google

Cologne's central railway station beside the cathedral — the fifth busiest in Germany, with around 280,000 travellers a day.

KölnTurm

since 2001

4.4(80)· Google

Cologne's tallest office building in the Mediapark (148.1 m) — glass façade with fired-on cathedral motifs and a rooftop terrace on the 30th floor open to restaurant guests.

Kreuzkirche

since 1913

Former Protestant church near Cologne's main station, now the Pathpoint Cologne youth hostel.

Landeshaus Cologne

Headquarters of the Rhineland Regional Council on the Rhine — a landmark of postwar modernism in the style of Mies van der Rohe.

Landgericht Köln

2.4(298)· Google

One of Germany's largest regional courts – with a press chamber that journalists consider the strictest in the country.

Langeler Bogen Flood Retention Basin

A polder on the right bank of the Rhine that is deliberately flooded during high water events to lower the river level in Cologne.

Lanxess Tower

since 1969

Striking 95-metre office tower in Cologne-Deutz, originally built as Lufthansa's headquarters and now home to the global HQ of Lanxess AG.

Luftwaffenkaserne

since 1870

5.0(1)· Google

One of Germany's largest military bases at around 300 hectares — home to senior Bundeswehr commands, a NATO unit, and a Canadian operational hub.

Maternushaus

4.4(1,702)· Google

Conference centre of the Archdiocese of Cologne in the old town, built from 1978 to 1983 to a design by Hans Schilling and Peter Kulka.

Medieval Synagogue of Cologne

Beneath the Archaeological Zone near City Hall: remains of a Jewish synagogue that stood from the 11th century until the expulsion of 1424.

Naumannsiedlung Cologne

1920s social housing estate in Cologne-Riehl, famous for its loggia balconies and Neues Bauen design, built on a former brickworks site.

Oberpostdirektion Köln

Regional postal authority for the Cologne area from 1850 to 1993, headquartered in the Altstadt-Nord district.

Olivandenhof

Commercial building in Cologne's Altstadt-Nord with a climbing wall, rain and cold chamber, and diving pool – Europe's largest outdoor specialty store.

Opern Passagen

Opened in 1964 as Germany's first shopping arcade — today a shopping passage with the integrated Theater am Dom.

Opernterrassen

A 1957 dining pavilion by Wilhelm Riphahn — a rare surviving witness to Cologne's 1950s architecture at Offenbachplatz.

Palais du Rhin

French Baroque-classicist riverside palace built in 1908 for banker Emil von Oppenheim—today luxury apartments housing a Sotheby's location.

Pollonius

5.0(2)· Google

115-metre telecommunications tower in Cologne's Porz district, named as a nod to its taller 'big brother', the Colonius tower.

Rechtsrheinischer Kölner Randkanal

A twelve-kilometre underground relief canal that carries streams on the right bank of the Rhine from Bergisch Gladbach-Refrath all the way to Cologne-Stammheim, where they empty into the river.

Reichenspergerplatz Court Building

since 1911

2.3(20)· Google

Cologne's largest historic courthouse, opened in 1911 and still home to the Higher Regional Court – with an air-raid shelter beneath the forecourt, rediscovered in 2009 and open for visits on the first Sunday of each month.

RemediCool Cryotherapy Chamber Experts

4.9(39)· Google

RemediCool combines cryotherapy chamber technology with an app-based software solution – from algorithmic session time calculation to vital data tracking.

Rhein-Center Köln

Shopping centre in Cologne's Weiden district: opened in 1972 as the fourth major centre in West Germany on former fields, today around 160 shops.

Rheinische Hochschule Köln

since 1971

3.9(98)· Google

Private university of applied sciences in Cologne, formerly Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln (RFH) and renamed in March 2024.

Ringturm

since 1973

4.6(9)· Google

The Ringturm at Cologne's Ebertplatz is a 109-metre high-rise from 1973 that, since its conversion into apartments, stands as a striking architectural landmark in the Neustadt-Nord district.

Roman Baths and Medieval Bathhouses in Cologne

Foundations of a 2nd/3rd-century Roman bath complex unearthed in 2007 beneath Cologne's Altstadt-Süd — including an 18-metre-wide rotunda.

Schönrath

Historic manor near Cologne, for centuries owned by Altenberg Abbey and later the birthplace of Rhenish heavy horse breeding.

Schwerthof

Office and commercial building from 1921/22 where, in 1947, Cologne's first postwar inner-city cinema opened.

Siedlung Volkspark

Uniformly planned villa estate in Cologne's green belt, built 1949–1951 for occupying forces and protected as a whole since 1995.

St. Anna-Haus

4.1(10)· Google

Founded in 1888 as a hospital and care home for the elderly, it served as a hospital until 1979 — today a Cellitinnen senior residence in Cologne-Lindenthal.

Stadtbibliothek Köln

since 1890

4.4(636)· Google

One of Germany's largest public libraries with around 850,000 items — currently operating from a temporary location on Hohe Straße during major renovations.

Stüttgenhof

One of Cologne's oldest farmsteads – partly ringed by a moat and still worked today by its owning family.

Technische Hochschule Köln

since 1971

4.0(97)· Google

One of Germany's largest universities of applied sciences, with over 21,000 students across campuses in Cologne, Gummersbach, and Leverkusen.

Thurner Hof

since 1150

4.6(39)· Google

A historic manor farm in Cologne-Dellbrück with a 16th-century timber-framed manor house and a freely accessible teaching garden.

TtE-Bücherei

5.0(1)· Google

Freely accessible library and archive of left-wing social movements at the Alte Feuerwache — holding citizens' initiative journals and a substantial collection of grey literature.

TÜV Rheinland

since 1872

4.2(460)· Google

Independent testing and certification giant born from steam boiler inspection in 1872 — headquartered in the 114 m Am Grauen Stein tower in Cologne.

Uni-Center

since 1973

4.1(461)· Google

One of Europe's largest residential buildings: the Y-shaped tower in Sülz combines 968 apartments with a 134-metre central core.

University of Cologne

since 1388

4.0(546)· Google

Full-fledged university founded in 1919 in Cologne-Lindenthal; with over 43,000 students, one of Germany's largest on-campus universities.

Vierscheibenhaus – WDR Office Building at Appellhofplatz

The Vierscheibenhaus is a striking office building belonging to the West German Broadcasting (WDR) in Cologne's Altstadt-Nord district. Its interior is closed to the public, but the staggered building slabs are well worth viewing from the outside.

WDR Arkaden

WDR building with an arcade-like façade by Gottfried Böhm — famous for live broadcasts of Cologne's Weiberfastnacht carnival kickoff.

Westgate

Cologne office and retail building heated and cooled by its own groundwater system, crowned by a glass dome.

ZB MED – Information Centre for Life Sciences

since 1973

Germany's central specialist library for medicine, health, nutrition, environment and agricultural sciences — with its main campus in Cologne-Lindenthal.

Zentralbibliothek der Sportwissenschaften

since 1947

4.7(20)· Google

The university library of the Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln — reportedly the world's largest specialized library dedicated to sport and sports science.

No longer exists A. Schaaffhausen’sches Bank Palace

A. Schaaffhausen’sches Bank Palace

Cologne bank palace of 1859–1862 blending Neoclassical form with Italian Renaissance splendor—destroyed in the war.

No longer exists Alte Wache (Waidmarkt)

Alte Wache (Waidmarkt)

A Prussian guardhouse from 1840/41 on the Waidmarkt, whose listed portico was dismantled and put into storage for possible reconstruction after the 2009 archive collapse.

Permanently closed Amerika Haus

Amerika Haus

From 1955 to 2007 Cologne's hub for US cultural exchange — the last of the once 57 Amerika Houses still operating in Germany.

No longer exists Augustinerplatz 12

Augustinerplatz 12

On 20 April 1896, Germany's very first film screening took place here — twelve French short films in a rented hall.

Permanently closed Cologne Wholesale Market

Cologne Wholesale Market

Former wholesale market in Cologne-Raderberg with a 132-metre parabolic vaulted hall — until its closure in late 2025, one of Germany's largest.

No longer exists Funkhaus am Raderberggürtel

Funkhaus am Raderberggürtel

Former headquarters of Deutsche Welle in Cologne, and at 138 metres the tallest building ever demolished in Germany.

No longer exists Hacht (Prison)

Hacht (Prison)

Archbishop's court and prison on today's Cathedral Square — criminals were locked up here and women tried as witches.

Permanently closed Helios (Electrical Engineering Company)

Helios (Electrical Engineering Company)

since 1882

3.9(568)· Google

Electrical engineering pioneer from Ehrenfeld — its 44 m Heliosturm, a faux lighthouse, still defines the neighbourhood today.

No longer exists Karmelite Monastery Cologne

Karmelite Monastery Cologne

Former Carmelite monastery south of Cologne's Waidmarkt, founded in 1256 and secularized in 1802 – the female Carmelite branch still exists in Cologne today.

No longer exists Linneper Hof (Reifferscheider Hof), Cologne

Linneper Hof (Reifferscheider Hof), Cologne

Former noble courtyard on Cologne Cathedral's precinct, originally the archbishops' residence — demolished in the 1740s, now part of the Roman-Germanic Museum grounds.

No longer exists Main Post Office

Main Post Office

A grand historicist post office built 1888–1893 on the ruins of Cologne's former Dominican monastery — demolished in the 1990s.

No longer exists Residential and Commercial Building Hansemannstraße 2

Residential and Commercial Building Hansemannstraße 2

A listed Cologne-Ehrenfeld building demolished in 2019 after structural damage caused by construction next door.

Permanently closed St. Laurentius (Cologne-Lindenthal)

St. Laurentius (Cologne-Lindenthal)

since 1961

A plain brick cube by Emil Steffann in Lindenthal, deconsecrated in 2019 and set to become a university lecture hall. Built in 1961/62, it counts as a notable example of Cologne's post-war architecture.

No longer exists Stadttheater in der Glockengasse

Stadttheater in der Glockengasse

Cologne's grand Neo-Renaissance theatre of 1872 for drama and operetta, lost to bombing in 1943.