Ebertplatz

An urban mix of art venue, architectural adventure, urban space

The Ebertplatz in Cologne is seen as something special. It’s a hub for various subway lines, a place with a history — and has had some eventful years. Built in the Brutalist style, it’s regarded by many as a three-in-one mix: an art space, a field of social tension, but therefore also a symbol of extraordinary civic involvement. That’s because in recent years this spot — a lively and bustling square between the Rings, the Rhine, the Agnes quarter and the Eigelstein neighbourhood — has been the focus of a struggle between artists, civic initiatives, the city authorities and others over the vision of reviving Ebertplatz as a new urban meeting place. It’s worth a look!

Art projects, exhibitions, a skating rink and more 

If you visit the Ebertplatz, you can experience its hustle and bustle at close range. For example, you might take a look at an exhibition in the art and project rooms, which have by now become real hotspots of the alternative art scene. For example, there’s the “Labor” (laboratory) project gallery in the underground passages. In winter, the square is sometimes livened up by an ice rink and curling. You can find out more about current exhibitions and activities at unser-ebertplatz.koeln.

The cafe in the container on the Ebertplatz

You can see another side of the Eberplatz if you combine your visit with a Kölsch beer after work, an aperitif or a nightcap after a restaurant meal, a film or an exhibition. In that case, the cafe in a container in the middle of the Ebertplatz is the place to go. There are deck chairs in the summer as well as other seating. And if you want to create a lasting memento of a romantic or festive evening, you can take a snapshot in the photo booth next to the restaurant for a genuinely retro experience.

The fountain on the Ebertplatz: open for walking, playing, experiencing

In the 1970s the Ebertplatz was renovated, lowered and provided with shops in the passages — the “catacombs” — and a fountain. After many years of inactivity, the fountain started to spout again in 2018, and today people can walk through, or play in, the gushing water. Atmospheric lighting illuminates the fountain in the evening and in the months of early darkness.

Incidentally, The huge sculpture housing the fountain was created by the artist Wolfgang Göddertz in the 1970s. It looks a bit like clusters of oversized nails under splashing water.

Watchable: a changing square

A fountain, coloured lights, a skating rink, a summer oasis, art — it sounds idyllic, but there’s also a downside. Illegality and police control, art and citizens' efforts coexist here. Especially the latter has become more and more visible in recent years: the other Ebertplatz, which is transforming itself as it becomes more and more lively and thus represents a remarkable piece of urbanity. In the long term, major reconstruction measures and redesigns are in the offing.