Afri - Cola Haus Turiner Strasse, Cologne by Malak Mehta

Part 2 Afri - Cola Haus Turiner Strasse , Cologne

Submitted By Ediane Amorim - 1390171 Jou-Fang Wang - 1338641 Iva Novoselska - 1382683 Malak Mehta - 1321749

Fig 1. Afri-Cola Haus

Introduction Afri-cola house, designed by Hans Schilling, was

was located, base on a different scale, from urban

one of the unforgettable building for the past few

block to urban tissue, and then urban form. The

decades, unfortunately, was demolished in 2012

influences between the buildings and the city are

and replaced by new buildings. As the office of the

mutual that the city is composed of buildings, while

German beverage company, Afri-cola, the building

the buildings were designed based on the urban

was composed by two parts, the triangular ad

context. The conduction of these analyses might

board and the main office building with only one

provide different prospectives and methods for

small window on the facade faces the main traffic

both urban research and the study of architecture

road. By using steel deck for the facade, the building

developments, moreover, through the process of

was given an expression of industrialization and

doing research, some hidden problems of the area

modernism, while the massive ad board was a

might be discovered, and furthermore be given

response to post-modernism. Along to one of the

speculation for improving.

main traffic artery in Cologne, the design of Africola building more or less was adjusted to fit the context that we can see the scale of the ad board is draw the attention of the drivers from distance. By taking Afri-cola as an intervention, the article aims to analysis part of Cologne where Afri-cola

Fig 2. Afri-Cola Advertisement Board

Fig 3.Afri-Cola Aluminium Facade

Fig 4. Timeline of area surrounding Afri-Cola

Urban Block

Fig 5. Urban Block - Afri Cola

Fig 6. Afri-Cola and the surrounding plots

The

building

example

seems the

good

Straβe and the integration of cars in the urban

Zeitgeist

its

time.

form at the time. Therefore, the building itself could possibly be read as an example of highway

The building becomes the building block itself

architecture due to its façade, which acts as a screen for advertisement. Furthermore, there is a

The façade facing Turiner Straβe is more opened

clear distinction between the front and the back of

and acts as an ensemble rather than a coherent

the building as the back façade of the building is a

whole which outlines the street. This is logic, used

straight continuous line, and follows the logic of

by Schilling, to express the importance of Turiner

Stubben of following the contour of the street. 5

Fig 7 . Back and front elevation of Afri-Cola

Fig 8 . Back elevation of Afri-Cola

Fig 9 . Front elevation of Afri-Cola

The classical definition of the block, which would

observations in Learning from Las Vegas, as

be outlined by the street, does not apply to the

mentioned by Bosman (2019, lecture Urban form),

Afri-Cola Haus. Some questions such as how the

which was published just in 1972. In fact, the

height and wideness of façades relate to the depth

following statement seems to be quite suitable for

of the block require more accurate evaluation. As a

the Afri-Cola Hus:

block that was torn by the North-South Axis, some buildings remained from that the cut.

Instead of remaking the block by outlining the

“This architecture of styles and signs is anti-spatial;

architecture according to the highway, Schilling

it is an architecture of communication over space;

chose simply to “preserve” the remaining buildings

communication dominates space as an element in

of the block by proposing a façade with the same

the architecture and in the landscape. But it is for

height of the original buildings. He meant to really

a new scale of the landscape. The philosophical

emphasize the cut of the highway by a continuous

associations of the old eclecticism evoked subtle

façade, without almost any open. The first part of

and complex meanings to be savoured in the docile

the façade (1) is more sinuous, and it seems that it

spaces of a traditional landscape. The commercial

is intentionally lead the eyes to the second part of

persuasion of road-side eclecticism provokes

the façade (2), which consists of the big wall with

bold impact in the vast and complex set of a new

an advertisement. The building does not have a

landscape of big spaces, high speeds, and complex

backyard, but a front yard, where a parking area

programs. ”

was placed. It is remarkable that Afri-Cola Haus was built in

(Venturi, 1972, Learning from Las Vegas)

mid-sixties anticipating some of the Venturi’s

Fig 10 . Afri-Cola building and the block

Urban Tissue

Fig 11. Urban Tissue - Afri Cola

Fig 12. Road network in the urban tissue

Major roads run through the urban tissue of the

tissue of the Afri-Cola house have a grid-like

Afri-Cola House. The plot of Afri-Cola House is

pattern. From the image above, it can be observed

located right next to the highway “Turiner street”.

that these tertiary roads form a continuity on both

On the North of the area the major roads are

the side of the highway.

“Theodor House Ring” and “Ebertplatz”. The old Roman road that acted as the North-South Axis for the old Cologne “Eigelstein” lies across the highway on the other side of the Afri-Cola house. The various secondary roads running in the urban 9

Hierarchy

Fig 13,14,15. Hierarchy in urban tissue surrounding Afri-Cola

There is a clear distinction when it comes to the

blocks themselves, such as the Afri Cola Building.

hierarchy of the roads within the urban tissue

The edifices along Turiner Straβe are sufficiently

of Afri Cola. The most dominant road is by far

larger and taller, compared to the buildings facing

Turiner Straβe, followed by the Old Roman Road,

the other roads.

while the rest of the roads have somehow more secondary functions. This hierarchy is expressed not only within the width of the roads but also within the scale of the buildings that surround them. In some cases, the buildings become building 10

Corners

Fig 16,17.Corners of building blocks in the urban tissue surrounding Afri-Cola

The building blocks in the urban tissue of Afri-Cola

to the distinctive character from the major and

house have a certain distinctive type of corners.

minor streets have deformed corners. The Afri-

The corners of the buildings towards the highway

cola builing for instance is moved back and has

and the main roads have sharp rectilinear shapes

a triangular board in the corner. As shown in the

or wide champhered corners. The corners towards

image above, certain building blocks also have

the inner streets are dealt with differently. They

entrance and parking spaces in the cornered areas

are either rectilinear and sharp edged or slightly

where the buildings are pushed bacwards.

champhered. Very few buildings as opposed 11

Corners

Fig 18. Section from corners of tertiary road and main road

Fig 19. Corners in the urban tissue of Afri-Cola

The building blocks in the urban tissue of Afri-Cola

intersection of highway and the major roads are

show different characters in the cornered spaces in

higher are create a different effect. The buildings

consideration with the volumes of the buildings.

stand high on the road defining it. The street on

The buildings on the turnings on the intersection

the inside on the other hand create an extremely

of highway and the tertiary roads are lower in

narrow space with tall buildings and narrow road.

height , thus widening the effect of the highway. The streets in the interior have close buildings with low height and narrow streets creating another experience. In contradiction, the buildings on the 12

Functions

Fig 20. Typology(functions) in the urban tissue of Afri-Cola

Urban Form

Fig 21. Urban Form - Afri-Cola

Road Network

Fig 22. Road Network in Urban Form of Afri-Cola

The urban form of Afri-Cola comprises of the

the river connecting the“Theodor House Ring”

highway and primary as well as secondary roads. The plot of Afri-Cola House is located right next to

The various secondary roads running in the urban

the highway “Turiner street”. On the North of the

tissue of the Afri-Cola house have a grid-like

area the major roads are “Theodor House Ring” and

pattern. From the image above, it can be observed

“Ebertplatz”. The old Roman road that acted as the

that these tertiary roads form a continuity on both

North-South Axis for the old Cologne “Eigelstein”

the side of the highway.

lies across the higway on the other side of the AfriCola house. “Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer” runs across

Traffic Flow

Fig 23.Traffic Flow in urban form of Afri-Cola

The traffic in the urban form of Afri-Cola house is fast flowing thought most of the roads. The highway and the major roads have fast moving traffic. The old Roman road being more feasible for the pedestrians thus has a slow traffic flow. Moreover, the roads on the left of the highway have slower traffic. Whereas the tertiary roads on the right have a free fast traffic flow.

Green Spaces

Fig 24.Green spaces in the urban form of Afri-Cola

The public and semi – public green is a repeating

In addition, half of the building blocks along

element within the urban form. The most

Dagobertstraβe are semi-opened and incorporate

prominent green locations in the area are the

green elements, accessible to the public. However,

Ebertplatz, the park, Eigelstein-Torburg and the

there seems to be a discontinuity between them

square in front of the Basilica of St. Cunibert and

when it comes to experiencing the geenery in

Trankgassenwerft. Their spatial continuity can be

the urban form. This is caused by the Turiner

realized by introducing a common function that

Straβe, which is a major interruption in the spacial

incorporates the pedestrianized part of the Roman

sequence in terms of greenery.

road, Ebertplatz, the park and the river bank.

Style of buildings

Modernism Stlye Classical Stlye

Fig 25. The style of buildings in the urban form of Afri-Cola

Buildings around the Roman Gate are mostly classical buildings either are preserved from the ancient time or was built to remained the style to fit the context. The buildings along the highway were mostly built after the second world war when the international style dominates around the world, that the buildings basically followed functionalism with limited decorations on the facade.

Court yards

Regular shape Irregular shape

Fig 26. Backyard in the urban form of Afri-Cola

The introduction of the highway did change the shapes of the courtyard of the urban blocks within the targeted area, in the old Roman district, the shapes of the courtyards are most irregular due to the accumulation of buildings from different era, while the urban blocks, newly developed after the construction of the highway, were planned with regular shapes of courtyards for more efficient uses, for example, as a parking lots for cars.

Corners

Sharp Edges Chamfered Tarpered

Fig 27. Corners in the urban form of Afri-Cola

Corners of the urban blocks are also mutated

highway, they were adapted to urban form with

according to the development of urban form,

the grid road system developed after the second

the sequence of urban form can be seen through

world war.

distribution of different types of corners. Around the historical Roman district, chamfer corner is mostly seen, it is a mutation of the urban form from old Roman era with centrality and radical road system. Sharp angular shape of corners are commonly seen in the urban blocks around the

System of Roads

Fig 28. System of roads

The sequence of the urban form is also shown in

in Cologne, the design of Afri-cola building more

the road system of the targeted area, from radical

or less was adjusted to fit the context that we can

road system in the old Roman district to the

see the scale of the ad board is draw the attention

grid system that was developed after the second

of the drivers from distance.

world war. Overall the road system is planned under the urban structure of Cologne, the ring system along The Rhein, that we can see the gird system is distorted slightly to fit the context.While the massive ad board was a response to postmodernism. Along to one of the main traffic artery

Genesis of the Block

The sequence of the urban form is also shown in the road system of the targeted area, from radical road system in the old Roman district to the grid system that was developed after the second world war. Overall the road system is planned under the urban structure of Cologne, the ring system along The Rhein, that we can see the gird system is distorted slightly to fit the context.

Fig 29. Map before war - 1885

After the war, the plots were sub-divided into smaller ones and the roads were made more defined. The port was converted into a park. The Roman road still stood as one of the main roads. The railway line was extended and made wider, effectively changing the plot shape and size in the surrounding.

Fig 30. Map post war - 1950

The current situation in the area is a continuation of further division of blocks. The plots are divided into subplots with different typology of buildings. The highway runs paralle to the Roman road through the block of Afri-Cola and divides the block above and below it into two different parts

Fig 31. Map - 2019

Typology of the Block

Fig 32. Before war and Post war structures

The

typology

the

area

can

easily

differenciated with the sizes of the buildings in the map. The post war structures as seen above are seen in the form of small grains linked next to each other defining perfectly the shape of the block. Where as the modern and post modern designs of the buildings can be observed from a change in the size with larger plot size and are more often scattered rather than being continuous.

Mutation of the Urban Tissue

Fig 33. Urban grain in the area surrounding Afri-Cola

For the demonstration of how the postwar reconstruction mutated the urban tissue two streets in the study area were chosen: the Eigelstein street, which remains from the ancient Roman civilization, and the North-South Axis, whose year of construction is after the WWII, in the 1950s. Three aspects of both streets were analysed: the volumes, the entrances, and the facades.

Volumes

Fig 34. Volumes of buildings in the urban form of Afri-Cola

As a consequence of a wider road, the buildings on the North-South Axis are higher and wider than those located in the ancient Roman road. The Eigelstein street is characterized by small volumes, whose width clearly reflects the variety of the plots. Only one block of this street contains more than 10 types of buildings (or 10 different volumes), while in the same block, there are only three buildings facing the Turiner Street. On one hand, the volumes on the Eigelstein street are juxtaposed, resembling a puzzle. The buildings also tend to have “new” volumes added on the backyards. On the other hand, volumes on Turiner street are more massive and tend to have a “final shape”. There is virtually no room for minor interventions that would somehow “bother” the original form. 25

Entrances

Fig 35. Entrances of buildings on the Roman road and the highway

The car as a defining element of the relationship between the street and the architecture provided new types of accesses to the buildings. Instead of a door directly opened to the street, some buildings on the Turiner street have parking areas as a transition space for the entrance. It is remarkable that for those cases, the parking entrance does not directly face the Turiner street but is placed on secondary roads, which are perpendicular to the highway. Thus, the traffic may not be interrupted or slowed by stopping vehicles.

Entrances

The protagonist is the car rather than the pedestrians as it occurs in the Roman Road. The lack of openings in the ground floor, which on the contrary are much more frequent on the Eigelstein street, also reveals that Turiner street is not a place to stay but to pass by.

Fig 36,37. Entrances of buildings on the Roman road and the highway

Facades

C3 D3

C5 B4 D5

Fig 38. Facades on the Roman road and highway

The old Roman Road and the highway also differ

The relationship between the highway and the

from each other in the appearance of the facades. On

façade is more freely interpreted. As some buildings

the Eigelstein street they are more diverse in terms

opted for the frontal recess, there is eventually

of materials and again, as occurs for the volumes,

room for some trees, which although are not part

the facades express the division of the plots.

of the façade per se, help to compose it, hiding or

However, it could be said that the facades work

revealing the façade behind the vegetation. The

here as system in which most of them follow the

sequence of the pictures taken from google earth

same rules for openings on the ground floor (and

shows these features.

eventually on the higher stories). On the Turiner street, although the facades are more homogenous considering the block itself (openings, material, etc.) they differ from one block to another. 28

Facades

Fig 39. Facades on the Roman road and highway

Speculation: Urban Issues

Fig 40. Speer plan for the city of Cologne

Cologne is a city with a rich history when it comes

Nowadays, new design strategies are being

to its urban development. Starting from its Roman

considered such as the one by Speer, who aims to

period, the city’s network of roads consisted of grid-

make the urban form around the Afri Cola building

like structure, which was crossed by the N – S Road

more friendly for pedestrian rather than for cars.

( still existing). Further on, the city went through a

As a result of the different shifts of interest and

series of transformations, which were reflections

the spirit of the time ( zeitgeist), the urban form

of the aspirations of the different historical

became a collage, which bears the marks of the

periods. Therefore, the different generations all

different generations. These periods expressed

left their mark on the urban form of Cologne,

the tendencies of their times, which by far were

morphing the already existing tissue according

very different. A problem, therefore, arises how

to the Zeitgeist. As a result, a lot of incoherence

to make the traces of the different historical

exists within the urban form of Cologne.

periods within the urban form exist together

The results of the postwar development of the

coherently. This problem is very explicit in the

city are particularly visible in Cologne. The

case of the Afri Cola building. The presence of

Postwar architecture and the introduction of

Turiner Straβe is dominant within the urban form,

the bigger roads for cars in the infrastructure of

but as a result, it is causing a major disconnection

Cologne affected significantly the city on every

between the two sides of the road. Therefore, at

scale – urban block, urban tissue, and urban form.

the moment there is no sense of coherence and

Building blocks, such as the one that Afri

spatial continuity in the Urban tissue of the Afri

Cola was part of, were cut to make space

Cola building. This is also very explicit when

for

new,

comparing the Old Roman Road to the Urban

established.

Tissue West from the Afri Cola Building Block.

the

smaller

new

roads

building

and

blocks

therefore

were

Interventions: Strategy

Fig 41. Maternus House

Fig 42. Afri-Cola Building

In order to establish a sense of coherence and

in the context of Schilling’s ensemble approach.

continuity, a common feature could be introduced

towards the building block as an ensemble.

such bike paths. Following the expectation and

Schilling’s ensemble approach is also incorporated

trends for the future, it is aimed for the area to

within the strategy to establish a more appealing

become more appealing for people, rather than

environment. His idea of the more opened

cars, therefore introducing cycling spaces as a

character of the building block is used is a tool

common feature within the urban form serves

to introduce focal points and enable the building

the purpose of the current Zeitgeist. In addition,

blocks to communicate with the street rather than

bike paths are a mid-ground between the vehicles

to define a clear border.

and the pedestrians and therefore can act as a mediating device to link the pedestrian-friendly spaces within the context of Turiner Straβe. This strategy of introducing bike paths is considered 31

Existing Infrastructure

Fig 43. Existing infrastructure

The map with the infrastructure of the study area

number of bicycle parking lots is remarkable, what

shows the dominance of the streets to the detriment

somehow shows that, although the area is not bike

of the pedestrian and bicycle areas, with emphasis

friendly, there is the desire and demand for the use

on the North-South Axis. The exception is the

of the bicycle.

Ebertplatz, which offers an important opportunity for the enjoyment of pedestrians. It is also noticeable the discontinuity of the bicycle paths, as can be observed on the pictures. The 32

Existing Typologies

Fig 44. Typology in the urban form of Afri-Cola

The majority of the buildings along the Roman

park. Going further south, along Dagobertstraβe,

Road (Eigelstein) have commercial functions on

Unter Krahnenbäumen and Machabäerstraße,

the ground floor such as Shops and resaturants.

the building blocks acquire a more commercial

This gives the area a more dynamic character and a

character

focal point for pedestrians and cyclists.

hosppitals, churches and hotels. These function

Similarly, the buildings facing Turiner Straβe

have more public character and are points

also have a commercial functions, but due to the

of interest for not only vehicles, but also for

highway character of the road, this area seems to

pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore, in order to

be unfriendly for the pedestrians.

make the area more friendly for the pedestrians

Within the Urban tissue of the building block

and the cyclists, adjustments in the way these

of the Afri Cola, the character of the area in

buildings are accessible have to be made.

terms of functions is mixed. There is a strong presence of residential buildings next to the 33

and

includes

typologies

such

Introducing bike paths based on typologes

Fig 45. Diagram showing introduction of bike paths

In order to create a sense of sequence within the

Another

urban form, a connection between the parts of the

introducing

old urban block ( before the introduction of Turiner

Krahnenbäumen. Similarly to Dagobertstraβe,

Straβe) have been established. This strategy follows

the street has majorly a commercial character,

a logic of repairing the urban tissue in a direction,

as two hospitals and a church are situated there.

perpendicular to Turiner Straβe. In this way, the

The presence of these commercial functions

dominant presence of the wide road can be reduced

already establishes Dagobertstraβe and Unter

and a more balanced environment can be created.

Krahnenbäumen as focal points within the area,

By connecting the N – S road with the urban

therefore, making them also accessible for cyclists

tissue around the Afri Cola building block, a

would emphasize their importance. Furthermore,

sense of continuation can be formed within the

these interventions will create a sense of harmony

urban form. This connection can be established by

within the character of the Urban Form due

introducing bicycle paths along Dagobertstraβe

to the similar character of the Roman Road,

where three hotels and a hospital are located.

Dagobertstraβe and Unter Krahnenbäumen.

connection bike

can paths

established

along

the

Unter

Introducing bike paths based on greenery

Fig 46. Diagram showing introduction of bike paths

In order to establish a continuation, bike paths

a bike path can be introduced along the park. In

can be introduced to stitch up the two sides of

this way, a sense of sequence is created by linking

the highway. This also creates a link between

both the monuments and the green spaces through

the old Roman road the greenery along the river

one and the same bike path. As a result, a sense of a

with multiple focal green points in between.

coherent whole is established within the urban form.

(Bike Paths) Their function is between the pedestrian and the vehicular functions and

therefore serve as link between the two. Another connection within the urban form can be made by establishing a sequence in terms of the monuments in the area. In order to connect the two, 35

Introducing bike paths based on monuments

Fig 47. Diagram showing introduction of bike paths

Fig 48,49. Monuments in the area

Focal points

Fig 50. Diagram showing introduction of bike paths along Focal points

Existing and New Bike Paths

Existing bicycle path Proposed bicycle path Pedestrian areas

Fig 51. Diagram showing intervention integrating the new bike paths with the old ones and reconnecting the flow in the urban form of Afri-Cola Building

Conclusion

By taking Afri-cola building as an intervention,

three different scales of researches explicitly show the mutations between architecture and urban context that somehow explain how the city was formed meanwhile how the architecture were designed. The urban block of the chosen building is relatively simple but unique compared to the urban tissue around that the big advertisement board gives the urban block an identity and reacts to the highway in front of. The urban tissue around Afri-cola haus is very diverse since it is cut into two parts by the newly built highway after the second world war, that one parts of the urban tissue belongs to the old Roman historical district while the other part were mainly built after the second world war and has modernist style. The research of the urban form can be seen as a regional study of the Cologne city that is not just focus around the building but scale up to the whole city development, which included wider research aspects. Four proposals as the reflection of the previous researches, we found out that the discontinuity from the Roman historical district to the river side for bikes might be a possibility to improve the integration of the urban context, therefore based on four different themes, all the proposals are aim to provide a better cycling environment in the city.

References Photos

[Accessed 15 April. 2019]

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(2019). Monuments. at: https://mapstreetview. com/#uc0kl_453xu_9q.0_gg40/ [Accessed 15 April. 2019]. (2019). Monuments. at: https://mapstreetview. com/#uc0kl_453xu_9q.0_gg40/ [Accessed 15 April. 2019].

Drawings & illustrations If not mentioned otherwise drawings and images created by: Iva Novoselska Malak Mehta Ediane Amorim Funfun Wang

Text If not mentioned otherwise drawings and images created by: Iva Novoselska Malak Mehta Ediane Amorim Jou-Fang Wang