Holzhafen Hamburg
Urban renovation along the string of pearls between the Speicherstadt and Övelgönne.
CLIENT
B&L Gruppe, Hamburg
COMPLETION
2011
SIZE
15.300 sqm GFA
COLLABORATION
Kees Christiaanse, Rotterdam
local partner: Kunst + Herbert, Hamburg
PHOTOCREDITS
ASTOC / HG Esch photography
The architectural starting point for the seven-storey building for offices and shops was the search for a typology which blends confidently with the harbour and incorporates the tradition of venerable Hamburg houses such as the Chile House. ASTOC breaks new ground here in the 1990s by applying a continuous brick façade to a building design divided into stacks. The brick façade is rhythmically arranged thanks to large glazed elements at the corners which establish a link with a district teeming with variety. The public boardwalk along the Elbe connects the building with its naturally developed surroundings.
The office building is part of the whole ensemble as a sequence of recumbent and upright structures. The 1985 Building Forum initiated the structural changes to Hamburg’s port and the revitalisation of the northern bank of the Elbe. ASTOC, Kees Christiaanse and Christian Herbert prevailed over prestigious international architectural firms in the 1994 competition and won contracts for a residential tower and two adjacent office buildings in Holzhafen.
