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LocationCologne
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ProjectRevitalization of a former movie theater into an office building with stores and restaurants
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ClientProximus Asset GmbH, Cargill Value Investment
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Architect of recordCaspar Schmitz-Morkramer
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Project controllingBraschel Consult GmbH IFB
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Technical building equipmentISP Ingenieurgesellschaft Strunk + Partner
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Structural engineeringIDK Ingenieurbüro für Baustatik
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Fire protectionDipl. Ing. Burkhard Hirsch
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Facade planningHeinrich Schornstein GmbH
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General contractor (GC)Wiemer & Trachte AG
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Planning and construction period2004–2005
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Service phases1–9
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PhotosStefan Schilling
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This project is from the joint period of meyerschmitzmorkramer.
Back in the golden age of movie theaters, the CAPITOL on Cologne’s Hohenzollernring was the most beloved venue of its kind. The name still resonates with many today, largely because after the cinema closed in the mid-1990s, it served as the recording and production venue for popular television shows hosted by Harald Schmidt and Stefan Raab, all staged in its charmingly plush hall. The revitalization of the building, constructed in 1954, was the first project undertaken by the new practice meyerschmitzmorkramer, led by architect Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer.
In 2004, the rooms of the former cinema/TV studio were converted into a high-end furniture showroom for the Italian brand Natuzzi, complete with a café and bar on the lower level. The five office floors above underwent modernization to provide high-quality, contemporary spaces for work and communication – one of which was occupied by the young architecture firm itself. The new storefront facade opened the elevated ground floor to the street, maintaining the building’s iconic green glowing CAPITOL lettering. However, as the city is constantly reinventing itself, changes occurred without our involvement: the ground floor was converted into a full-range store, and the facade was replaced.
