Seven architectural projects in Cologne have been honored with North Rhine-Westphalia's prestigious State Prize for Architecture, marking the tenth edition of this distinguished recognition program. The award, presented by the NRW Ministry for Regional Identity, Communities, Building and Digitization in cooperation with the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Architects, celebrates 25 outstanding new or renovated buildings and landscape designs across the state every five years.

Among the most notable recipients is the new building for Cologne's Historical Archive and Rhenish Image Archive, which earned special recognition for addressing one of the city's most painful wounds. The jury praised the project for achieving "nothing less than healing an injured urban community," referring to the devastating collapse of the original Historical Archive on Severinstraße in 2009. The judges particularly commended the precise execution of the architectural concept down to every detail, noting that the building succeeds both functionally and atmospherically. "This building shows dignity. It stands for a city that has achieved healing," the jury stated.

Several innovative housing projects also received recognition, demonstrating the state's commitment to addressing urban housing challenges. The Vorgebirgsgärten development in Zollstock, the Herler Straße residential quarter, the "Mittendrin" project in Alt-Sülz, and the Ossendorfer Gartenhöfe all earned awards for their contributions to sustainable urban living. In the city center, the "Wohnen F // 9" project impressed judges with its fast and cost-effective construction method on a narrow 25-meter-wide remaining plot, showcasing new approaches to resource-conscious urban densification.

The awards also recognized the new InnoDom Cologne building, which serves as a startup center for the Cologne University Foundation. This facility represents the city's commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the academic community. The diversity of winning projects reflects the broad scope of architectural excellence being achieved across different sectors in Cologne.

"The prize shows above all one thing: building is more than putting stones on top of each other – building is culture," said Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Regional Identity, Communities, Building and Digitization. "I congratulate all the winners very warmly." Her comments underscore the cultural significance of architecture in shaping community identity and social cohesion.

Ernst Uhing, President of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Architects, expressed particular satisfaction that approximately half of the selected projects in NRW come from subsidized housing construction. "Many of the selected projects support social cohesion in our cities and communities or represent developments within existing building stock," he noted, highlighting the awards' focus on socially conscious architecture.

The competition attracted significant interest, with 159 buildings submitted for consideration in the awards process. The winning projects are located across 16 different municipalities throughout North Rhine-Westphalia, demonstrating the widespread excellence in architectural design across the region. The official award ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 9, 2026, at the K21 Art Museum in Düsseldorf.

The complete list of Cologne winners includes detailed information about their architectural teams and clients. InnoDom Cologne was designed by Kada Wittfeld Architektur GmbH and Nesseler Bau GmbH, both from Aachen, with landscape architecture by Studio Grüngrau GmbH from Düsseldorf. The Historical Archive was a collaboration between Waechter + Waechter Architekten from Darmstadt and Heinlewischer Partnerschaft from Cologne, with landscape design by RBP Landschaftsarchitektur. The Vorgebirgsgärten project was designed by Lorber Paul Architekten GmbH and club L 94 Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, both from Cologne, while the other winning projects involved various architectural partnerships representing both local Cologne firms and collaborations with practices from across Germany.