Green island in the city with building greening

Green island in the city with building greening

All pictures © Optigrün international AG

Green island in the centre of Düsseldorf instead of a city motorway – building greening makes it possible.

Location: Kö-Bogen II
City: Düsseldorf / Germany
Date:  2020 
Designer/Project owner: Ingenhoven architects, Jointventure CENTRUM Düsseldorf and B&L Group Hamburg
Roof/Wall Slope: 3750 sqm/30000 sqm 

Europe’s largest green facade

The completion of Kö-Bogen II marks the end of a comprehensive urban redevelopment in the centre of Düsseldorf. Where a bustling overpass and the grey concrete roof of the underground car park on Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz spoiled the look of the city centre in 2013, you can now find Europe’s largest green facade. Patches of trees, seating, a lawn area and restaurants opposite the newly built office and commercial building now invite people to spend some time here.

The 27 m high building measuring around 41,000 m² was designed by Düsseldorf-based architect Christoph Ingenhoven.

The Kö-Bogen II complex is not only intended to create an outstanding building with architecture that shapes the city, but a comprehensive, sustainable concept should also be implemented for climate protection. After all, the consequences of climate change are clear to see everywhere: Urban heat islands and urban flash flooding. All consequences of the steady increase in soil sealing. According to the German Environment Agency,
 56 ha (approx. 40 football pitches) of untouched nature is sealed with roads, living space and industrial sites every day in Germany, thus removing it from the natural water cycle. The natural water cycle – precipitation, drainage, evaporation – is hugely disrupted by this. High-density construction and soil sealing transform cities into heat stores.

Causes and problems specifically in urban areas

Sealing surfaces causes stormwater, which evaporates from natural surfaces, to drain away from the sealed surface much more quickly and in an uncontrolled manner. The drained stormwater is not evaporated.

However, the evaporation of stormwater binds a large amount of energy, which is introduced into our habitat by sunlight, in the form of latent (not sensible) heat. This means the energy used for the stormwater evaporation process is energy that is transported out of our habitat, thus creating a cooling effect. If energy is not transported out of our habitat with stormwater, it results in urban heat islands.

Green sloping facade

The green sloping facade of the building complex with a hornbeam hedge comprises 30,000 hornbeams that were planted in Optigrün planters. This corresponds to a impressive length of 8 kilometres.

The canopy of the facade measuring over 4 football pitches is an immense energy converter. The greenery prevents the facade from heating to up to 70 degrees with intense sunlight and this heat from going back into the ambient air. Almost half of the solar energy is converted into water vapour. Due to the evaporation that takes place, the ambient air is cooled and the typical urban gap in the natural water cycle is closed.

With Kö-Bogen II, an attractive green concept has been implemented in Düsseldorf which sustainably demonstrates an ecological benefit: with the help of evaporation, the foliage of the hornbeams cools the ambient temperature, binds to fine dust, takes in CO2 and produces oxygen.

Designer: Optigrün international AG
Year: 2020
City: Düsseldorf, Germany

owner website

Follow us on our social channels.

Follow us on the channel that best suits you to receive our latest updates!

NEW

LATEST POSTS

European Green Infrastructure Day 2025

European Green Infrastructure Day (EGIDay) is the Brussels based policy conference dedicated to exchange views on the state of affairs of urban green infrastructure in the EU and how to unlock their multiple benefits, for citizens, businesses and the environment. The in-person event will take place on the 24th of April 2025 at the L42 Business Centre and Workspaces in Brussels, from 9:30 to 12:30. The fourth edition of the EGIDay will gather in person EU policymakers, urban green infrastructure experts, local authorities and NGOs to discuss how to turn European cities from grey to green, contributing to climate adaptation and water resilience of Europe’s urban areas. Download here the full programme. Fill out the form to attend as a participant.

WGIN’s collaboration partner AIPH has published the spring edition of their Global Green City Update

WGIN’s collaboration partner, AIPH, has published the spring edition of their Global Green City Update. You can read it here. This edition includes a variety of key updates and initiatives, such as: An update on the signatory follow-up for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework The ISOCARP Manifesto for New Regenerative Cities ICLEI’s work on sustainable public procurement The Trees and Design Action Group (TDAG) Seminar Series Building the Future City Auckland – insights into urban sustainability The Global Youth Climate Summit The AIPH Green City Briefing Webinar on April 10th WGIN’s European Green Infrastructure Day The 4th World Congress on Forests and Parks for Public Health And much more on urban greening, biodiversity, and sustainability Explore the latest developments shaping the future of green cities!

IFLA Joins the WGIN Working Group on Post-Conflict Reconstruction

The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) has joined the WGIN Working Group on the reconstruction of post-conflict areas. Representing IFLA in this initiative is Dr. Maria Gabriella Trovato, an Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and the Program Leader of the International Master’s Program in Landscape Architecture for Global Sustainability. Dr. Maria Gabriella Trovato is a distinguished expert in landscape planning, spatial development, and the reconstruction of territories affected by conflicts and environmental crises. She has extensive experience in integrating nature-based solutions into the restoration of urban and natural landscapes. She is the Founder and Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Landscape Observatory (EMLO), a member of the UNISCAPE Executive Board, and the Chair of Landscape Architects Without Borders (IFLA). Her research focuses on landscape restoration in emergency contexts, urban adaptation to climate change, and the development of inclusive and resilient public spaces. The participation of IFLA in this working group represents a strategic step toward embedding nature-based solutions into the reconstruction of post-conflict territories. With the number of regions affected by armed conflicts and socio-political upheavals increasing globally, the demand for sustainable and resilient reconstruction strategies has never been more urgent. A holistic approach—combining ecological restoration, climate resilience, and social reintegration—is essential to ensuring long-term stability and quality of life for affected communities. The collaboration between WGIN and IFLA aims to foster innovative strategies for land restoration, establish long-term planning frameworks, and contribute to the creation of sustainable and resilient urban environments. As post-conflict reconstruction becomes an increasingly critical global challenge, integrating landscape architecture and nature-based solutions into recovery efforts is paramount for achieving sustainable development. We invite organizations to collaborate in the development of innovative solutions for post-conflict territory restoration. If you are interested in contributing or proposing joint initiatives, please contact us at oleksandra.strashok@uagin.org.