Oval Offices cologne

the offices — two 
distinct, amoeba-
shaped buildings — 
sit on four acres
of parklike land 
beside the rhine 

river and are wrapped in 5,000 red and
green glass louvers. the six-story Festland house 
and the seven-story ufer house complement the 
surrounding leafy landscape. the louvers appear 
to subtly change color depending on their angle 
and the weather. over the last 20 years cologne’s 
business district has developed outward from the
city center around its Gothic cathedral to form 
a string of unspectacular business headquarters 
along both banks of the rhine. the oval offices are
a contrast here, in aesthetics and energy conservation.