25hours Hotel

The Gerling Destrict in the city centre of Cologne is considered to be one of the largest architectural monuments of the early post-War period in Germany. In 2015, O&O Baukunst was commissioned to transform the former administrative headquarters of the Gerling insurance group—the Rundbau—into a luxury urban hotel. The task was to preserve the special architectural expression of the building despite functional adaptations and to carefully transfer it into the present. Thus, the performance of the listed building was to be improved with contemporary means.

The historic stone façade of the former office building was restored in keeping with its status as a listed building and the existing water basins and gargoyles were renovated. Taking up the geometry of the circular building, the rooms were structured into “inner circle” and an “outer circle” areas. As a special finishing touch, the building was given a recessed staggered storey constructed with gold-anodised steel reminiscent of the design language of the 1950s and 1960s.

The architectural qualities of the circular building were transferred into new, durable forms without any visible traces of the renovation. The new storey blends harmoniously into the building structure and offers a unique view over the rooftops of the city to Cologne Cathedral.