MediaPark
Car-free media business park on a former freight yard — built around a central square with an artificial lake, crowned by the soaring Kölnturm.
The MediaPark is a business district designed primarily for media companies, located in Cologne's Neustadt-Nord neighbourhood. Built on the site of a former freight yard, it was developed between 1987 and 2004.
At a Glance
- Type
- Business park for media companies, with apartments, cinema, clinic and hotel
- District
- Neustadt-Nord, inner city borough
- Area
- around 200,000 m², including 14.5 ha of open space
- Construction
- begun 1987, completed 2004
- Layout
- semicircular arrangement around a central square with an artificial lake
- Defining feature
- car-free at ground level; the 148.5 m Kölnturm towers over the complex
The MediaPark's design was inspired by the medieval Piazza del Campo in Siena: German-Canadian architect Eberhard Zeidler from Toronto arranged the buildings in a semicircle around a central square with an artificial lake as a deliberately modern reinterpretation of the famous Italian piazza.
From Freight Yard to Media Hub
The site was home to the "Central-Güterbahnhof Gereon", opened in 1860 and Cologne's main freight yard for over a century. The city acquired the land in 1987 and took it out of service by 1990. As part of Cologne's media strategy, the decision to develop a media business park here was taken in December 1985, with the city council formally approving construction in 1986.
Design and Architecture
The 1988 design competition was won by German-Canadian architect Eberhard Zeidler of Toronto, who drew inspiration from the Piazza del Campo in Siena. The site was divided into 13 plots, sold to individual investors from 1989 onwards, with each building designed by a separate architect. Financial difficulties and changes of use among investors caused delays, and the buildings were completed over an extended period.
Buildings and Layout
The seven-storey buildings are arranged in a semicircle around a central square with an artificial lake. The complex is car-free above ground, with deliveries and vehicle access handled via an underground ring road. The Kölnturm — designed by Paris-based architect Jean Nouvel and inaugurated in 2001 — features a façade that mirrors Cologne's skyline, including the Cathedral. The "Forum", completed in 2003 and designed by Dutch architect Herman Hertzberger, is the largest of the six buildings flanking the square at 34,000 m² of office space, and closed the last remaining gap in the development.
Today
Alongside offices and commercial space, the MediaPark is home to the Cinedom multiplex cinema (opened 1991), a residential block known as the "Wohnschlange" with 250 apartments (completed 1993), a clinic, and a hotel. The central square serves as a public meeting place and venue for events.
Timeline
- 1860Central freight station Gereon opens
- 1986Cologne city council resolves to build the MediaPark
- 1987City takes over the freight yard site; design competition launched
- 1988Foundation stone laid for Cinedom; development company founded
- 1991Cinedom opens as the first media company in the MediaPark
- 1993Residential block 'Wohnschlange' with 250 apartments completed
- 2001KölnTurm (architect Jean Nouvel) inaugurated
- 2003'Forum' building (Herman Hertzberger) closes the last gap
Gallery
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
Address
Im Mediapark 7
50670 Köln
Hours
So: 00:00–24:00
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Official Instagram (@mediaparkkoeln)
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-06-24)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-06-24, rev 259030172)
- Official website (retrieved 2026-06-24)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-26