Cologne’s Domforum attracts more than 300,000 visitors a year – as the foyer to Germany’s best-frequented church. The Catholic church’s Visitor, Meeting and Events Center, located directly opposite the Cologne Cathedral, attracts both the faithful and visitors. With its expansive white reception top made of DuPont Corian Glacier White, and the design was the result of an architectural competition, Martini Architekten from Bonn have created a central information point. The entire room is in virgin white, and only the grey reinforced concrete beams and supports as well as the seating groups in dark walnut stand out. With its natural wood surface, the stylized crucifix motif on the wall is a restrained contrast to the rest of the smooth pattern of the walls, reminding visitors of the religious function of the space. Three large glass facades ensure much eye contact between inside and outside. And when darkness falls, the foyer starts to gleam on the outside.
