The building’s shallow depth allows for column-free floor plans, giving us great design freedom for the retail space on the lower three floors and the dental practice on the 3rd and 4th floors. The store, specializing in men’s large-sized fashion, features an entrance at the corner facing Schildergasse. To enhance the entryway, the facade angles outward at the base but tapers to a point at the eaves, creating a distinctive architectural form. Inside, a curved staircase with an expansive stairwell connects the retail floors while providing visibility to the upper levels. A barrier-free elevator facilitates vertical access. The two floors housing the medical practice are accessed through a tall, narrow foyer at the building’s southern end. Treatment rooms are linearly arranged along the facade, ensuring maximum privacy, while the waiting room offers an unexpected view of the cathedral.

The building doubles as a showcase, both inviting and representative. For the facade, we selected oversized glass panes that offer high-performance sun protection with excellent anti-reflective qualities, perfectly highlighting the displayed collection on the ground floor. Internal sun shading shields both people and merchandise from intense light and heat. Panels featuring manually operated openings are accentuated in dark tones, adding a subtle structure to the otherwise flat facade. The Antonsgasse medical practice and office building opened in 2013 and was Cologne’s first building to receive EU green certification.