The development of the "New Bickendorf Quarter" (NQB) in Cologne-Bickendorf has achieved significant progress. As part of the urban and open space planning competition, the joint design by planning offices ASTOC and RMPSL was unanimously awarded first prize. This design is characterised by a comprehensive green and open space concept, which connects the future quarter with the adjacent urban areas and establishes a new urban centre for Bickendorf.
The robust structure of the awarded design allows for flexible adaptation to future requirements during the course of further development and forms the basis for the subsequent development plan procedure. The competition was organised by Instone Real Estate, a project developer operating throughout Germany. The company intends to transform the 17-hectare site in Cologne-Bickendorf into a forward-looking, mixed-use quarter. The concept envisages integrating residential areas, commercial units, and other functions to ensure the revitalisation of the new urban component.
Cooperative development process and planning bases
The competition continued a multi-year participation process, within which politics, administration, and the public worked together with Instone to develop the spatial master plan for the affected area. The Cologne City Council had adopted this master plan as the basis for further planning and simultaneously passed the resolution to prepare the development plan. Twelve invited teams from urban planning and landscape architecture participated in the first phase of the competition, of which six teams were selected for the second, more in-depth phase.
The jury comprised experts from the fields of architecture, urban planning, and landscape planning, as well as representatives from politics, administration, and Instone as the landowner. The designs, which were presented anonymously after the first phase, were showcased at a public event, with feedback from citizens being incorporated into the second processing phase.
Next steps and positive response
Anna Rzymelka, Head of the NRW branch of Instone Real Estate Development GmbH, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. She emphasised that the selected design stood out in a process involving twelve strong submissions and represents the consistent continuation of the path that has been pursued for years in cooperation with politics, administration, and the public. The concept developed in the master plan process now takes spatial form with this design, and the "New Bickendorf Quarter" enters the next planning phase.
Andree Haack, Councillor for Urban Development, Economy, Digitisation, and Regional Affairs, confirmed that the competition result creates a viable urban and open space planning basis for the further development plan procedure. The winning design consistently implements the goals elaborated in the cooperative master plan process and forms the planning basis for developing the former commercial area into a lively and well-connected part of Bickendorf. The awarded works will be exhibited in October 2026 at Stadthaus Deutz.
