Kaiserswerther Straße in Düsseldorf, also known as KWS for short, is one of the north-south routes in the state capital. It connects the districts of Pempelfort and Stockum, and also passes through the district of Golzheim. This main road in Düsseldorf was first laid out as early as 1895, and the streetscape has undergone extensive development since then. From 1920 onwards, it served as the main access route to all of Düsseldorf’s venues located in the northern part of the city. Kaiserswerther Straße offers the quickest route to the exhibition centre, the ESPRIT Arena and the airport. The 3.8-kilometre-long street is characterised by buildings dating from different decades or even centuries. Alongside residential neighbourhoods dating from the Gründerzeit era, the fashion industry has also discovered this impressive street for itself. Around 120 companies from the creative fashion sector have established their headquarters here, thereby helping to shape the modern atmosphere.
History of Kaiserswerther Straße in Düsseldorf
At the end of the 19th century, Düsseldorf required systematic urban planning due to its rapid growth. As part of this, the city architect Buch also designed a road that was to lead to Kaiserswerth. Due to residents’ concerns about excessive traffic noise and dirt, Kaiserswerther Straße was built narrower and now runs not in a straight line but with a slight curve. A narrow-gauge railway also made the journey to Kaiserswerth easier and, later, even to Duisburg.
Whilst initially only a few factories and residential buildings characterised the streetscape, from 1920 onwards there was a flurry of construction activity around Kaiserswerther Straße in Düsseldorf. Large residential buildings in the austere style of Neues Bauen and Brick Expressionism soon began to line the main street. The Great Depression brought this construction boom to an end for the time being in 1929. During the Third Reich, the Nordpark was created as an exhibition park; it is the only one of its kind still in existence today. The 36.6-hectare site offers ample opportunities for recreation, with beautifully designed water features, extensive lawns and a Japanese garden. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the street was finally widened after all to cope with the increasing flow of visitors.
Kaiserswerther Straße, Düsseldorf: Office Location
In the early 1950s, the foundations for the office location on Kaiserswerther Straße were gradually laid, partly through the construction of the Drahthaus. The Igedo fashion fair subsequently helped Düsseldorf, and Kaiserswerther Straße in particular, to develop into a hub for ordering and information within the German fashion industry. More and more of the so-called showrooms, where designers showcase their collections, sprang up along KWS. The city viewed this development with scepticism, as the showrooms meant the loss of valuable residential space. The city of Düsseldorf therefore made two attempts to ban the showrooms – with limited success. The general housing situation has since eased, which is why designers and fashion agencies are able to retain their office spaces.
COLLECTION Business Centre Düsseldorf on Kaiserswerther Straße also lets out exclusive office spaces in this thriving fashion district, tailored entirely to your needs. In this creative environment with excellent transport links, it is easy to pursue your core business with motivation and energy. The COLLECTION Business Centres are also happy to take care of your administrative tasks, so that you can focus entirely on your own work.
Cover image: © COLLECTION Business Centre
