stuff to do in.cologne
DE
No longer exists
This structure no longer exists today – this entry tells its story.

Fordturm

Former 112 m steel lattice tower in Cologne-Deutz, crowned by a rotating "Ford" globe — built in 1950 and demolished just thirteen years later.

LandmarkHistoryArchitectureCity historyTechnologyCity centre

The Fordturm was a freestanding steel lattice tower in Cologne, its apex crowned by a slowly rotating globe bearing the "Ford" lettering in giant illuminated letters.

to Wikipedia ↗

Source: Wikipedia

At a Glance

Type
Freestanding steel lattice tower (no longer standing)
Height
112 metres
Cross-section
Triangular
Ascent
Over 400 steps to the top
Built
1950
Demolished
1963
Location
Deutz (Innenstadt district), on the north-eastern edge of Rheinpark at Auenweg
Did you know?

The Ford Tower was demolished in 1963 not just because it obstructed the new Zoo Bridge, but also because the rival KHD corporation lobbied to have the landmark of its competitor Ford removed from their immediate neighborhood.

Construction and Occasion

The tower was erected to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford's Cologne plant. The topping-out ceremony took place on 26 August 1950. Ahead of the Federal Horticultural Show in 1957, the structure was renovated and spruced up for the occasion.

The Rotating Globe

The tower's most distinctive feature was a lattice-work globe 12 metres in diameter that slowly rotated at the very top. It displayed the "Ford" name in illuminated lettering more than five metres tall — visible from a great distance across the Rhine.

Demolition

Several factors combined to seal the tower's fate. The neighbouring KHD industrial group lobbied to have a direct competitor's landmark removed from right on its doorstep. The tower also stood directly in the path of the newly planned Zoobrücke bridge, leaving the city little choice but to bring it down in 1963.

Timeline

  1. 1950
    Built to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford-Werke GmbH
  2. 26. August 1950
    Topping-out ceremony marking completion of the tower
  3. 1957
    Renovation for the Federal Horticultural Show
  4. 1963
    Demolition of the tower

Map

Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.

Get directions:
Google MapsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

You might also like

980 mBastei© Superbass · CC BY-SA 3.0

Bastei

4.1(90)· Google

Expressionist observation restaurant (1924) on a Prussian caponier — superstructure cantilevers 8 m beyond its footprint; closed since 2019.

1.2 kmColonia-Haus© Thomas Wolf ( Der Wolf im Wald ) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Colonia-Haus

4.3(150)· 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).

Permanently closed 1.5 kmDeutz-Kalker Bad© HOWI - Horsch, Willy · CC BY 3.0

Deutz-Kalker Bad

A 1913 Art Nouveau indoor pool in Cologne's Deutz district, now a listed heritage hotel with a restaurant set in the former swimming hall.

Comments

  • Loading comments…

Sources & links

Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-26

Suggest an edit Add a place