Having an impact. With creative teamwork. The “Carlswerk”.

All of our tenants in fact – we provide them with the ideal location for their business, but we also listen to their ideas and help put them into practice. These are above all large tenants such as Bastei Lübbe, REWE Digital, NKT and several others who have found and are making use of the perfect place to work here. With Tesla, we have a showroom that puts e-mobility in the limelight. In the Stuntwerk there is a bouldering hall, which attracts visitors with different climbing routes and varying levels of difficulty. The Schauspiel Köln divided its hall into two rooms which can both host performances at the same time and are equipped with rows of seats and technology, rounding off the theatre. The WellNest, which offers a day spa experience with sauna and whirlpool without having to book a hotel, is brand new. In this respect, the “Carlswerk” is an experience for visitors in every way and almost around the clock – both from a visual perspective with its varied architecture from different eras, as well as in terms of what it has to offer thanks to its wide range of commercial offerings and culinary options.

Exactly! The Schauspiel Köln is also a good example of this. While most performances take place in the evenings, those interested can find out more about the history of the theatre or what goes on in the individual workshops during the winter season as part of the “Behind the scenes” programme. Generally speaking, there is a lively, urban flair here. Anyone who remembers the purely industrial site from when we bought the property sometimes rubs their eyes in amazement even today. Every day, people flock to the area. Some to work, many to spend their free time there – whether in the wellness oasis, in restaurants, doing sport or at a theatre performance. This is the BEOSphere at its best, showing how the idea of participation works. All the people who visit the “Carlswerk” become part of the campus. And we watch and respond to their preferences – where they spend their breaks, have some quiet time or meet up for a chat. This could involve providing additional seating or shaded areas, for example.

We have two neighbourhood squares with green areas, deck chairs, table tennis tables and connected restaurants and cafés – for many people, these are their favourite places to relax and network. The feeling of togetherness can be felt especially in the CARLsGARTEN: it is the result of a spontaneous initiative by neighbours, employees of Bühnen Köln and third parties, who wanted to create space for self-sufficient living. This saw them plant the first raised beds for growing climate-resistant heirloom vegetables. In turn, this led some to the idea of offering educational courses on the subject. The workshops on cooking, but also on topics such as biodiversity and recycling, were so well received that a seed library was set up as a logical next step. In this way, one thing led to another, simply thanks the creativity and energy of everyone involved. With numerous flower and vegetable beds as well as thousands of birds, insects and microorganisms, the 3000 square metre CARLsGARTEN is an intact inner-city ecosystem that invites people to interact with it at any time.

In fact, I have several. The neighbourhood squares have developed an urban charm that can compete with inner-city locations. The football hall is the most popular place. Another highlight for us is of course our office – an industrial hall converted into a loft. It even served as a showroom and source of inspiration for many of our tenants when they were developing their own loft offices.

We are also in the process of creating more places for our tenants to enjoy. We will revitalise and upgrade around 5000 square metres of space, and a completely flexible new build is also planned. This will offer a wide variety of uses which are already established in the “Carlswerk”. As you can see, the site is gradually developing and particularly benefits from our day-to-day presence in this lively district. You could not get more participation, or more BEOSphere.