Kö-Bogen II

The "Kö-Bogen II" office and commercial building, designed by ingenhoven architects, features Europe’s largest green façade. It consists of an 8-kilometer-long hornbeam hedge comprising over 30,000 plants. The complex marks the culmination of an extensive urban redevelopment project in the center of Düsseldorf. At the same time, it represents a paradigm shift: from an urban perspective, a move away from the automotive age and toward prioritizing people as the standard, and—with its expansive green façade—a potential response by cities to climate change. Giving as much green space back to the city as possible is a mission that ingenhoven architects has been pursuing for decades through projects spanning various climate zones and continents. The evergreen hornbeams were deliberately chosen as a native plant species. Through a comprehensive phytotechnological concept, the hedges become an integral part of the building. They improve the city’s microclimate—the greenery shields against the sun’s rays in summer and reduces the urban heat island effect, sequesters carbon dioxide, stores moisture, dampens noise, and promotes biodiversity. The ecological benefits of the hornbeams are equivalent to those of approximately 80 mature deciduous trees. 

© Photos/Text: ingenhoven architects