Brise Soleil at the Eifelwall

The “Kölner Stadtgedächtnis” has reopened after four and a half years of construction. A compact, cubic structure designed by the architectural firm Waechter + Waechter houses the storage rooms of the new Historical Archive (HA) and the Rhenish Picture Archive (RBA). Werner Sobek was responsible for the technically innovative facade design. In Europe’s most modern municipal archive, partly sensitive archive materials and photographs that tolerate little light are protected from solar radiation and temperature differences. To minimize solar radiation, vertical and horizontal louvers made of architectural bronze form a tender “brise soleil”. The deep reveals allow for a beautiful and constantly changing play of light and shadow. Due to the largely natural shading of the interior, the facade construction significantly fulfills energy and conservation requirements.