Construction is underway on the Lindgens site along the Rhine—a project we’ve been working on for twelve years. A neighborhood that will transform southern Mülheim in the coming years. By Erika Werres.
Some places hold their future within them long before it becomes visible. The Lindgens site on the right bank of the Rhine is one such place. For years, it was a promise on paper, a part of the city in limbo. This spring, that changed. The excavators are here, the first foundations are being laid, and what was long just an idea is now becoming a reality.
For twelve years, we at the wvm Group have guided this site through the planning and permitting process. That’s a long time—and it was worth it. Anyone who has known a site for so long knows its history, its soil, and the morning light over the river. The zoning plan has been legally binding since November 19, 2025, and construction began in early March 2026. Patience has given way to movement, and this movement carries far.
On the first construction site, 109 apartments are being built—a mix of subsidized rental housing and market-rate rentals under one neighborhood umbrella. This mix is important to me because it allows the neighborhood to breathe. Here, young families find their place alongside the neighbor who has called Mülheim home for decades. A daycare center has been part of the plan from the very beginning. Where children run in each morning, more than just living space is created—a place where people want to stay.
On one of the later construction sites, an ensemble is taking shape consisting of a low-rise base and a tower rising beside it, approximately 65 meters high, with about 20 stories and more than 250 apartments. A landmark visible from afar, making the neighborhood recognizable even from a distance. Mülheim has a rich industrial history—shipyards, mills, and work along the water. We want to build on this narrative and add a contemporary chapter to it. We’re deliberately taking our time with the design and are in discussions with several architectural firms. Anyone building this high owes the city a design that will still be compelling twenty years from now.
In just a few years, this place will be transformed—warmer and more vibrant, fully at ease with itself. Life along the paths, trees slowly casting shadows, lights in the windows at dusk, and the view across the Rhine—all of which will be a natural part of everyday life. The southern part of Mülheim has long awaited its moment. Now it’s here.
We’re developing the Lindgens site one construction lot at a time, with the care that a waterfront location demands. And I’m glad we get to be part of it—as a plan transforms into a vibrant part of Cologne.
