Not so long ago, we talked about the "social distance park", invented on the model of labyrinths in baroque gardens, and now we are talking about a related project, implemented without any connection with the pandemic. The office and shopping center Kö-Bogen II is located in the very center of Düsseldorf, on the site of a demolished overpass. This building by Christoph Ingenhofen is across the street from the first Kö-Bogen, designed by Daniel Libeskind, but they have little in common other than mid-rise and commercial function.
Ingenhofen is known for its interest in sustainable solutions, which is why its building seems to continue the adjacent Hofgarten park in the urban environment. At Kö-Bogen II, the roof and three of the four façades are covered with rows of green hedges, generally forming a strip 1.3 m high and 8 kilometers long. Species of hornbeam that preserve foliage even in winter were chosen for the project. Hornbeam lends itself well to cutting, and also holds its shape for a long time, because it grows slowly: it will rarely have to be trimmed. However, the project takes into account this need, and irrigation, and fertilization scheme. While on the roof the shrubs are planted in ordinary tubs, special containers with their own supporting system have been invented for the northern and western facades.
The architects consulted with botanists, made a mockup, and more than 30,000 plants needed for the project have been grown in the nursery since 2016 so that they can develop well. The benefits from them for the ecological situation in the city are equal to the influence of 80 mature deciduous trees: they are temperature reduction in summer, CO2 capture, moisture retention, noise absorption, maintenance of biodiversity.
Kö-Bogen II consists of two buildings, a hull surrounded by a green hedge and a smaller pavilion up to 10 m high, the green roof of which can be climbed: it is a gentle slope down to the ground.
Christoph Ingenhofen won the competition for the Kö-Bogen II project in 2014. This 42,000 m2 building is inspired by land art and modernist buildings nearby: the Dreischeibenhaus office building (1960) and the theater (1970), which Ingenhofen's bureau is completing its renovation in this year.
