Santiago Calatrava Reveals Design for New Retail and Office Complex in Düsseldorf, Germany

Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava has unveiled the design of the Calatrava Boulevard, a complex offering upmarket restaurants, retail, and office spaces in Düsseldorf, Germany. Located on a highly visible site between Königsallee boulevard, Königstrasse, and Steinstrasse, the new complex features a curved and vaulted 135-foot-tall roof and a flowing interior street, creating the appearance of a sculptural light-filled canyon. The project, done in collaboration with Uwe Reppegather, Founder and Managing Director of the CENTRUM Group, is set to be completed by 2028.

Calatrava Boulevard aims to modernize the space parallel to Königsallee boulevard and create an attractive new destination. The height of the building allows for the creation of an accentuated entry point underneath the curved roof while remaining below the typical height of buildings in the North Rhine-Westphalia state capital. Landscaped roof terraces also contain integrated solar panels to align with the city’s sustainability goals.

The existing buildings fronting the Königsallee are incorporated into the design, which connects them seamlessly to the Calatrava Boulevard. The first two levels of the new intervention offer approximately 160,000 square feet of high-end retail and restaurant space. The upper floors accommodate 236,000 square feet of office space. The design of these spaces preserves the traditional structure of the “Kö” façades.

The inner façade is defined by sinusoidal waveforms sweeping toward the external facades facing Königstrasse and Steinstrasse. The introverted character of the building ensures a coherent integration of contemporary retail spaces within the historical urban tissue and architectural styles that define this area. The project is designed to be developed gradually to minimize the impact on business operations along the commercial boulevard. The first phase has already begun with the construction of the Kö36 building.

"Düsseldorf, with its famous Königsallee, is an elegant, cosmopolitan city with a sophisticated aura. Working closely with both the City Council and CENTRUM, we were able to develop a balanced and innovative solution that both preserves the distinctive and traditional character of the “Kö” and creates new architectural and urban development excellence." - Santiago Calatrava

Recently, Calatrava unveiled the completed St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York City, a building that replaced a 19-th century church destroyed on 11 September 2001. He is also the designer behind UAE’s Pavilion at the 2020 Expo Dubai, a structure featuring 28 automated cantilevered wings that open and rotate as a symbolic reinterpretation of the flow of movement.