Back to the roots:
the Rheinbahn headquarters in Oberkassel In this time of public transport policy disputes, the Rheinbahn made an important decision. It decided to plan a new headquarters on Hansaallee.
The Rheinbahn headquarters on Wilhelmplatz was acquired by the Rheinbahn in 1938. It was one of the first reinforced concrete buildings in Germany and its stable construction meant that it came through the war relatively unscathed. The main damage to the building was caused by fire. From 1955 to 1960, there were plans to convert the building and considerably extend it. However, these measures would have cost around DM 3.5 to 4 million, plus the cost of repairing several fundamental construction defects.
This finally prompted the supervisory board to accept the management board’s proposal in 1964 and build a new headquarters at a different location. The project was to be financed in part or in whole by the proceeds from the sale of the valuable property near the central station.
The company initially planned to build the new headquarters close to the central station. The Rheinbahn owned a piece of land on Eintrachtstrasse. However, closer scrutiny revealed that the depot on Eintrachtstrasse would probably expand in coming years and lead to a shortage of space. The managing board therefore opted for the land on Hansaallee, which had lain derelict for a long time.
The construction work on the new Rheinbahn headquarters commenced in 1968. The building work was completed on schedule and, one year later, the topping out ceremony was held and the move took place. Almost 75 years after it was founded, the Rheinbahn returned to Oberkassel. True to tradition, the Rheinbahn’s new headquarters is an architectural landmark and has made the district surrounding the Oberkassel freight depot decisively more upmarket.