Cologne, the fourth-largest city in Germany has a comparatively high percentage of citizens with foreign backgrounds. The Turks are by far the largest group without a German passport and still do not have any diplomatic missions within the city. To change this situation, the Republic of Turkey bought a piece of land in the west of Cologne. There are many reasons for the choice of this centrally and well sized plot: The property is located in a former industrial area with a high potential for sustainable development. Its heterogeneous nature causes a political interest which again leads to investments in terms of infrastructure, residential as well as commercial buildings to promote a mixed-use spirit in this rather neglected neighbourhood.
At the beginning of the drafting process the question arose as to how the diplomatic requirements of different cultures meet in the conception of architecture. What kind of mutual influences are decisive without getting into a conflict of the conception - or representation aesthetics? The Identity of regional and cultural techniques in space, construction, material and form depend on the conditions encountered.
The architecture of the new Consulate relies on reminiscences and references of the Ottoman building culture, without imitating, citing or historicizing it. The design is rather about the abstract interpretation and a spatial understanding of traditional typologies as a contribution to both countries.
For the internal logistics of the complex, it typologically focuses on the theme ”house and yard“. Residence and Chancellery are housed in autonomous buildings. These are separated and at the same time connected by alternating smaller buildings, courtyards and gardens. The separation into public, semi-public, semi-private and private areas is not only a security requirement but also contributes to the structural and spatial appearance of the entire site without renouncing any appropriate architectural representation.