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Uni-Center
Uni-Center
	The tower as seen from the east.
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Residential & commercial
Location	Köln-Sülz
Coordinates	50°55′19″N 6°55′59″E / 50.92181°N 6.932929°E
Construction started	February 1971
Opening	August 1973
Height
Roof	134 m (440 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	45
Floor area	60,000 m2 (650,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Werner Ingendaay
Main contractor	Deba Wohnbau GmbH

The Uni-Center is a residential building in the Sülz district of Cologne, Germany. It is located at the intersection of Luxemburger Straße and Universitätsstraße and is one of the tallest buildings in Europe. Public transit access is provided by the Weißhausstraße KVB light rail station, which stands immediately adjacent to the building.

History

The architect was the Cologne professor Werner Ingendaay (1923-2008), and the builder was the property development company "Deba Wohnbau CCAA GmbH" of Cologne. After the commencement of construction in January 1971, the foundation stone was laid in February 1971 by the then Federal Transport Minister Lauritz Lauritzen, who described the planned building as a "bold experiment". The Y-shaped skyscraper topped-out in October 1972 and was ready for occupancy on August 1, 1973.

Specifications

The residential tower comprises three wings of various heights—"U" (38 + 3 floors), "N" (31 + 3 floors), "I" (26 + 3 floors)—which are connected by the building's core, "C" (45 floors). For better orientation, the wings are decorated in uniform colors: "U" in orange, "N" in green, and "I" in yellow. From the 5th floor upwards in each wing are apartments. Each wing of the building is capped with a two-sided viewing platform, over which are situated a further two levels of apartments and a top-floor penthouse. On the lower floors there are several shops, restaurants and a parking garage.

With 968 units, it is one of the largest residential buildings in Europe. Approximately 60% of all units were sold as condominiums. The rest, including the entire "I"-Block, were acquired by the Cologne Association for Student Affairs (Kölner Studierendenwerk). It operates 378 apartments (14-24 m²) as a residence for students. The highest part of the building is the central tower "C" at 134 meters. There are 45 above-ground floors, 3 underground levels, and the ground level, totaling 49 floors. The 2000 residents of the complex are served by 9 elevators.

Other

The Uni-Center was one of the locations in the film The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum, which was based on the novel of the same name by Heinrich Böll and premiered October 10, 1975. During the German Autumn the RAF-Kommando "Siegfried Hausner" rented an apartment in Uni-Center and there prepared the abduction of Hanns Martin Schleyer. The GSG 9 raided several apartments on October 13, 1977 and determined that the nurse Adelheid Schulz had rented a safehouse there under the name of "Markward". During the search, Lufthansa Flight 181 was hijacked.

Uni-Center ranks 4th on the list of the highest buildings in Cologne. From the upper floors (from the 15th story) there is a panoramic view of the Cologne skyline.

References

Weblinks

Category:Buildings_and_structures_in_Cologne Category:Skyscrapers_in_Cologne