Meet Europe's 'urban mountain'

Designed by Ingenhoven Architects and captured by photographer Paul Clemence, Kö-Bogen II in Düsseldorf is Europe’s largest green façade, a living architectural landmark that redefines the relationship between city and nature.

Completed in 2020, the project features over 30,000 hornbeam plants in 8 kilometres of hedges, transforming the commercial complex into an ‘urban mountain’ that symbolises sustainability and urban renewal. 

Strategically located between Düsseldorf’s Hofgarten and the bustling shopping street of Schadowstraße, Kö-Bogen II is situated at the heart of the city. Adjacent to post-war modernist icons like the Dreischeibenhaus and the Schauspielhaus theatre, it serves as a connector between historic architecture and contemporary urban design. 

This living surface also has environmental benefits, such as improving air quality, reducing the urban heat island effect, providing sound insulation, and encouraging urban biodiversity.

The project represents a paradigm shift in Düsseldorf’s urban planning, transitioning from car-centric infrastructure to people-oriented spaces.

Ingenhoven’s supergreen concept prioritises returning green spaces to cities by integrating nature directly into architecture. 

Of all their projects, Kö-Bogen II is the most ambitious in Europe, embodying a philosophy of architecture as living infrastructure. As both art and ecosystem, it reminds us that the future of architecture lies in harmonising urban life with nature.

Source: Arch Daily