At the heart of HafenCity’s development strategy is an innovative public-private partnership model: HafenCity Hamburg GmbH. This model ensures high standards in urban design while facilitating swift and efficient project execution, avoiding the common pitfalls of public sector delays. Investment for the project was via EUR 10 billion of private funds and EUR 3 billion in public investment, the latter mostly financed through strategic land sales. HafenCity exemplifies how visionary planning combined with robust cross-sector collaboration can transform dilapidated industrial areas into thriving, low-carbon communities integrated with nature. It provides a replicable model for inclusive, circular urban renewal. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation works to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. We develop and promote the idea of a circular economy, and work with business, academia, policymakers, and institutions to mobilise systems solutions at scale, globally. Charity Registration No. (England and Wales): 1130306 OSCR Registration No. (Scotland): SC043120 Ellen MacArthur Foundation ANBI RSIN (Netherlands): 8257 45 925 the Ibis Styles Hamburg HafenCity will offer 403 rooms along with a breakfast restaurant and hotel bar The hotel is part of a larger district development it will feature 163 rooms and "THE FLAVE" restaurant Both hotels will be managed by Accor under a management contract Hotel website Brand OwnerAccor Home » Concept with symbolic character: “Roots” in Hamburg’s HafenCity Germany’s tallest wooden skyscraper focuses on luxurious sustainability and resource conservation – Kaldewei bathroom solutions impress with their recyclability Murphy and Partners and implemented by Garbe Immobilien-Projekte GmbH “Roots” combines ecological responsibility and modern aesthetics As Germany’s tallest wooden skyscraper with 16 floors in a wooden construction it is a symbol of the architectural and ecological possibilities of the future With a gross floor area of around 20,600 m² 126 residential units and office space as well as the exhibition rooms of the German Wildlife Foundation “Roots” shows how diverse and future-oriented urban life can be The massive use of wood reduces the CO₂ footprint of the building and sets a strong example for climate-friendly construction “Roots” inspires through its sustainable construction and its symbolic value: It represents the shift towards environmentally conscious architecture that combines ecological added value with aesthetic excellence Additional focus was placed on the selection of sustainable materials 126 high-quality bathtubs from Kaldewei were integrated into the interior – made of steel and glass and 100 percent recyclable This decision emphasises the project’s comprehensive concept of anchoring luxury sustainability in every detail “The choice of materials is essential for the sustainable quality of a building,” explains Kasimir Altzweig designed by the Italian design office Sottsass Associati durability and special details such as enamelled wastes and overflows It is ergonomic and naturally easy to clean and its functionality and aesthetics ensure an exceptional bathing experience HafenCity Hamburg has gained a new landmark – one that radiates beyond the Hanseatic city It makes it clear that sustainable construction is not a limitation The integration of innovative and durable materials such as Kaldewei bathtubs is an impressive demonstration of how resource conservation “Roots” is an architectural model and a sustainable beacon of hope – a vision that has already become reality and points the way to a more environmentally friendly future KALDEWEI offers luxurious bathroom solutions of superior quality and timelessly elegant design shower surfaces and washbasins are made from sustainable steel enamel You are currently viewing a placeholder content from HubSpot Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers THP is a subsidiary of Sleeper Media © 2025 copyright TOPHOTELPROJECTS GmbH – all rights reserved The grand opening of Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier on April 8 2025 comes one year later than planned after water damage and technical problems had led to three postponements Locals can now look forward to a week of festivities to mark the launch of the new district maritime-themed party on the opening day will be followed by all kinds of fun-filled events from April 9-12 highlighting a different area every day - from innovation and the future Singer-songwriter Rita Ora will ring in the summer with a live performance on the riverside promenade on June 21 glass and steel roof consisting of almost 8,600 parts resting on 34 columns an experimental journey by the Turkish collective Nohlab focuses on the genesis of photons as one of the primary elements of light colourful world has many surprises in store Around 2,500 car parking spaces are planned and more than 3,500 for bicycles.ys/pb which is lined from the inside with 50,000 acid- and heat-resistant ceramic bricks sulphur dioxide – a by-product of copper purification – is converted to sulphuric acid releasing heat that is virtually carbon-free The people working at Aurubis have been familiar with this chemical process since the plant opened What makes the brand-new technology of the intermediate absorber so innovative is that the hot air – which used to be cooled with lots of water from the Elbe River – can be discharged as hot water through a district heating pipe But it doesn't go just anywhere: it is routed to the HafenCity neighbourhood 3.7 kilometres away which made the sustainable district heating possible in the first place "The idea of using the resulting waste heat has been around for quite some time," says Christian Hein then Head of the district heating project at Aurubis "but it is only now possible to make practical use of the waste heat from the contact system at a suitable temperature level thanks to the potential heat consumer and the material properties of the required aggregates currently available on the market Heat extraction until now hasn't been cost-effective as only 25 per cent of the waste heat could be used in the plant itself." The fact that a municipal waste heat cooperation in northern Germany can become an energy-policy flagship project with radiance is proven by a price that Aurubis can put on its shelf driver and pioneer of the energy turnaround awarded the Hamburg metal processor the "Energy Efficiency Award" 104 energy efficiency projects applied in 2018 Aurubis won in the category "Energy Turnaround 2.0" Non-existent or dilapidated infrastructure hinders economic efficiency and thus engenders poverty by promoting environmentally-friendly means of transport Factories and industrial facilities should also ensure that production is in line with ecological aspects to avoid unnecessary environmental pollution All United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015 At its heart is a list of 17 goals for sustainable development known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Our world should become a place where people are able to live in peace with each other in ways that are ecologically compatible by the following photographers/photo agencies are used: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page the former Cruise Center HafenCity will be replaced by a new The new cruise terminal will be part of a building complex that includes an underground bus terminal the two new berths at the new terminal will provide cruise ships with the capability to access shore power during their time at berth To learn more about what else the new terminal can offer and the current status of the construction tune in to the latest episode of “PORT IS WHAT WE DO” Plans for a new State Opera House to be built on Baakenhöft in HafenCity were announced during a press conference on Friday (February 7 The building is to be financed by the Kühne Foundation and will be owned by the City of Hamburg on completion The new building will house the Hamburg State Opera the Hamburg Ballet and the Philharmonic State Orchestra The existing Hamburg State Opera building in the city centre will be used for other cultural purposes After preliminary planning and cost estimates the foundation will then decide on the further procedure The city will then have the site at Baakenhöft prepared for the new building Additional site-specific costs such as foundations and flood protection would be covered and capped at €147.5 million "My foundation is keen to create a special place in HafenCity for all residents of Hamburg where the Elbe and its harbour the city and its culture can be experienced in equal measure," said Klaus-Michael Kühne President of the Board of Trustees of the Kühne Foundation The Hamburg State Parliament has yet to approve the contract the opera house on Dammtorstrasse will have to be renovated and upgraded.mm/sb/pb Julius Benthin is a senior urban studies and economics double major who recently presented his research on the HafenCity development in Hamburg with a grant received as a Marcuss Fellow His inspiration for the project came when he was living in Hamburg Germany during the pandemic and taking walks through HafenCity as a break from online classes He began his research on the urban redevelopment project in April of 2022 and is currently working to finish his senior thesis for urban studies on the topic selective higher education liberal arts institutions The HafenCity redevelopment is Hamburg’s “icon” project a major urban project that aimed to and succeeded in garnering global attention When Benthin was researching the changes seen in HafenCity he looked at news reports and experienced the reimagined urban environment by walking the streets Benthin has a personal connection to the project as he was living in Hamburg at the time of development and worked in the concert hall which is the flagship building that came out of the project Benthin describes the concert hall as symbolic of the HafenCity overall The project went over budget and cost the citizens of Hamburg tax money for this extravagant building Benthin says that “the city made sure that everyone be given a chance to go there and the people come in and they are all amazed” there were doubts about the impact and the cost of the project it has transformed the area of the harbor and the city Benthin grappled with finding a starting point you have a lot of ideas and need to organize them” for helping him navigate the beginning steps of the research process and letting him have the freedom to pursue what interests him Benthin felt rewarded when walking through the HafenCity and you experience the first new developments of the community” His favorite parts of the research process were walking through HafenCity and observing the evolution of the project as well as having informal conversations with residents about their opinions on HafenCity The most surprising element of the research was the scale and impact of HafenCity The implementation of a large redevelopment project is not specific to Hamburg but is a global phenomenon Benthin was excited that his research of HafenCity could result in publishing a paper that could further the conversation of large-scale urban development projects As Benthin works to finish his thesis on his research of the HafenCity he is looking forward to graduation and is grateful for his experience as a Marcuss Fellow and the research he conducted in Hamburg Novotel pioneered the concept of affordable comfort catering to families and business travellers with quality hotel innovations Novotel has since evolved into a globally recognised brand with close to 600 hotels across 60+ countries and an additional 180+ hotels in the pipeline Catering to both business travellers and families eager to share quality moments Novotel champions the importance of a balanced life From flexible workspaces that encourage productivity to relaxed shared areas perfect for gatherings with family and friends every aspect of Novotel is designed to leave guests feeling refreshed and revitalised With 300+ properties across 24 countries in Europe alone the latest additions are a testament to the brand’s solid growth trajectory across the continent Some of the recent openings in Europe include: Novotel Valencia Lavant (Spain) – Centrally located in Valencia this newly-opened hotel features 370 elegant rooms and sophisticated interiors designed by the internationally renowned Sundukovy Sisters the new property boasts a stunning two-level rooftop pool bar and terrace Guests and locals can indulge in a sophisticated culinary experience at Papúa Valencia the hotel’s on-site restaurant that offers local as well as international delicacies Business travellers can benefit from extensive coworking spaces and eight versatile meeting rooms Novotel Malta Sliema (Malta) – Marking the debut of Novotel in Malta this waterfront hotel is expected to welcome its first guests during the summer as well as a spacious bar and terrace ideal for soaking up the sun The new property will feature a modern wellness centre Those travelling for business will be able to host events of any size thanks to the hotel’s conference facilities and versatile meeting rooms tailored to corporate events Novotel Zagreb (Croatia) – Slated to open in May the new 170-room hotel will mark the brand’s entry into Croatia Designed with balance and relaxation in mind Novotel Zagreb will offer a spacious wellness centre including a fitness area alongside a garden and terrace to unwind and enjoy scenic views of the capital Business guests will benefit from 700 sqm of state-of-the-art conference space from large conferences to intimate gatherings Conveniently located just 20 minutes from Franjo Tuđman International Airport the hotel will be the perfect gateway to visit Zagreb Novotel Hamburg HafenCity (Germany) – Situated in the vibrant HafenCity district just minutes from local attractions and shopping areas the hotel will provide an ideal base for exploring Hamburg’s iconic landmarks This flagship hotel will offer 163 stylish rooms featuring a modern design and elevated amenities for enhanced guest comfort Guests and locals will be able to taste traditional menus and a selection of local beers at the on-site Nova restaurant and bar Novotel Hamburg HafenCity is expected to open later this year and will join 26 Novotel properties already operating in Germany Novotel Paris La Déf Nanterre (France) – Adding the dynamic district of La Defense to its map in the French capital this 170-room hotel will feature elegant and contemporary interiors of meeting spaces and easy access to central Paris the property will be strongly positioned to become a key spot for events in the area The hotel will welcome its first guests during the summer Novotel hotels in Europe and around the world are part of ALL the all-in-one loyalty programme and booking platform Silvia de CandiaAccor Twenty Hamburg-based companies will host a joint stand at the leading three-day MIPIM property fair in Cannes from Tuesday (March 11-14 Then the entire value chain will come together to give exhibitors and visitors access to global property development projects and capital.  Hansainvest Hanseatische Investment and Landesbetrieb Immobilienmanagement und Grundvermögen (LIG) will officially open the stand at 3 pm on March 11,followed by a talk to mark the 25th anniversary of the HafenCity Masterplan entitled "Designing Lving Spaces Sustainably" This talk will be held with Andreas Kleinau Managing Director of HafenCity Hamburg and Reiner Nagel Chairman of the Federal Foundation for Building Culture A "Hamburg.HafenCity.Talk" centering on the risks and opportunities facing the construction industry gets underway on March 12 followed by a talk entitled "The Hamburg Standard - building quickly and cost-effectively" "Conserving resources and protecting the climate are essential - as is economical and socially acceptable housing," she added The new Hamburg standard sets a strong example and shows how intelligent planning and innovative processes can reduce construction costs make workflows more efficient and still meet quality and climate protection demands These developments are shaping the way we live and work in the future and offer the property sector attractive prospects for investing in Hamburg."imb/mm/sb Sweden’s Alfa Laval moved its headquarters for German-speaking countries to the Watermark building in HafenCity in early June. The company's business, which includes new fuels for ships, energy-saving heat exchangers and large-scale plants had previously been managed from Glinde in Schleswig-Holstein Around 250 staff are now employed in Hamburg which is a key hub for Scandinavian countries and thus an attractive place to work the "Energy Efficiency Movement" initiative and the "Sustainable Cities" campaign The chamber forges extensive economic links between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Federal Republic of Germany Around 110 local companies are already members of the chamber including major players such as Vattenfall and Securitas Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information The Elbe river floods the fish market in Hamburg Low-lying parts of the city are built to survive frequent inundation.  Photographer: Bodo Marks/DPA/AFP via Getty Images The German city relies on an innovative mix of new and ancient techniques to keep new waterfront development dry amid rising sea levels and more frequent storms.  XLinkedInEmailLinkGiftFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftBy Peter YeungDecember 18, 2021 at 1:00 AM ESTBookmarkSaveMichael Schaper, head of Hamburg’s storm surge security team, gestures to a road that passes over a nearby bridge and across the harborside HafenCity district “Do you see how it gradually rises?” he says “The fact that the street level is just a few meters higher over there means it will be flood-protected for the next century.” The Westfield shopping center in Hamburg's Hafencity is scheduled to open on October 17 This was announced by the company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield The occupancy rate for these areas is currently 93 percent office and hotel areas will therefore only be gradually occupied or opened after the opening The opening of the shopping center had already been postponed several times but was most recently postponed to the end of August The investor cited water damage as the reason the prestige property in Hafencity was supposed to be finished in 2021 The French real estate and investment company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is building a huge shopping and entertainment center on the site in Hafencity cinemas and a cruise terminal will be built in the "Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier" The total of 14 buildings will also accommodate 579 apartments and offices for 4.000 jobs We always keep you up to date: with our free newsletter SHOEZ compact You will regularly receive all information from the shoe industry in a clear form when a new magazine is published US Managing Director Peter Sachs hands over to Lance Taylor Alchemy plans to take over almost half of the Austrian shoe retailer Second best financial year in the company's history Creditors' meeting decides against P&C's takeover offer Sanela Krisat becomes International Sales Director sales representatives and business partners throughout the DACH association Telephone: +49 (0) 6 41 / 7 95 08 – 0Fax: +49 (0) 6 41 / 7 95 08 – 15Email: info@shoez.biz Designed by willsch-media.de Studio Gang’s concept of Grüner Elbe Bogen  – “the Green Elbe Elbow”- links the Hafen site with a much larger green ring already planned by the city in combination with the site’s water access would put Hamburg on par with more famous cities such as Paris and Vienna giving its residents unencumbered views of the city and water beyond Activate the Wp-related-posts plugin to see the related post list XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Owner: Sondervermögen Stadt und Hafen (Special Asset “City and Port"/"City and Port” Urban Development Funds) The inner city of Hamburg is expanding toward the Elbe River by redeveloping the adjacent former port area into a new bringing together workplaces; 6,000 residential spaces; and facilities supporting culture HafenCity is expected to accommodate more than 100,000 visitors per day and generate 45,000 jobs The total investment amounts to €10.5 billion (US$14.02 billion) at current prices The port has left an imprint on the district’s structure as the old harbor basins are a notable feature of the development and the broad tracts of water contribute to the attractiveness of HafenCity Some historic buildings have been retained including the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall The International Maritime Museum has moved into Kaispeicher B; and the old Port Authority building will offer market and prime lodging space Hamburg’s famous warehouse district—which is on a tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status—will be preserved comprises a fine-grained mix of innercity uses; high standards of architectural and urban design; and a strong ecological sustainability strategy based on brownfield regeneration and attention to carbon dioxide benchmarks The project also displays innovative climate-adjusted flood protection measures that incorporate a new urban topography with low-lying public promenades preserving the old harbor structure and provision of secure spaces for commercial and residential uses HafenCity was called “an urban construction project of dazzling heft and quality” in the New York Times Hamburg decided to repurpose nearly 400 acres [162 ha] of docklands on the Elbe as a commercial and recreational district that would increase the city center’s size by 40 percent and showcase mesmerizing glass towers,” Times travel writer Frank Bruni wrote “In a watery area of about 15 square blocks are stunning examples of contemporary architecture terraced exteriors; the shiplike Unilever building (Strandkai 1); and the Elbphilharmonie spectacular monument of what looks like frosted glass.” ©2025 Urban Land Institute. All Rights Reserved. Legal Notices you’ll stay informed on the most important topics shaping the world of real estate with unlimited access to the award-winning Urban Land magazine If you are not a member or if you do not know your login/password Tackling the issue of rising sea levels and the risk of coastal flooding Irrespective of debate surrounding the extent of rising water levels due to climate change this growing risk can be taken into account at a very early stage of development projects specifically in their urban planning and architectural aspects rather than merely adapting existing facilities to cope with greater environmental challenges this resilience strategy also offers the opportunity to create brand new spaces The Hafen City project in Hamburg is currently one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in Europe dock basins had become too small to accommodate increasingly large vessels to move to a much larger site near the Old Elbe Tunnel area The abandonment of the old 157 hectare site in the heart of the city offered a unique urban redevelopment opportunity Under the master plan produced in 2000 by KCAP Architects and Planners a total of eleven districts and one new residential area are planned by the mid-2020s providing housing for up to 12,000 residents and creating 40,000 new jobs This new urban area is surrounded on all sides by the river and the canals The master plan emphasises the need to preserve the site’s unique character and maritime atmosphere But since the site is regularly exposed to flooding of the Elbe it also needed to take into account the risk of submersion The designers’ response was the « Floating City » a concept that combines several solutions: – Altering the topography of the site itself by creating « terps » or artificial hills designed to raise buildings between 8 m and 8.50 m above sea level; – Applying the floodable quay concept to the quayside buildings which are built in cantilever fashion to free up space that can be used as a promenade when water levels are lower; – Creating outdoor public spaces that can be flooded temporarily in some areas: a floodable quay concept that provides high-quality spaces while preserving the existing maritime heritage Including joint City Port measures to prevent inundation and flooding of the port and connecting infrastructure in strategic planning documents and through a suitable land management policy The view point created at the foot of the « Marco Polo » tower and […] The way has been paved to build the 245-metre Elbtower in HafenCity with space for 5,000 workplaces after the Hamburg Elbtower Immobilien GmbH & Co KG met all of the contractual requirements the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing said Monday (January 9 The Elbtower is to be built in east HafenCity at the Elbbrücken S-Bahn and U-Bahn station thereby creating a new urban hub The tower is scheduled for completion in 2025/26 and will be among Hamburg's tallest skyscrapers The Elbtower is set to become Hamburg's latest must-see attraction "especially as it features a public viewing platform on the 55th floor which will offer brand new views of the city" The Elbtower is being built on a triangular plot of land between railroad tracks and multi-lane roads with space for all kinds of uses The base area and the viewing platform at an altitude of 225 metres have been designed as public spaces The light-flooded atrium will house restaurants and exhibition spaces with offices hotel and leisure facilities on the the other floors The west of the Elbbrücken district is taking shape on the adjacent space between the skyscraper and Baakenhafen after the senate approved a development plan recently shigeru ban has won the competition to design six sustainable residential towers in baakenhafen harbor the site of the ‘watertowers hafencity’ is a 1.5 hectare leisure island which has 3,000 sqm of recreational space and is projected to offer 8,000 homes and 5,000 jobs conceived with the idea of ‘being on water’,the six paired living and leisure buildings will range in height from eight to twelve storeys and will be constructed from a composition of concrete wood and steel–which will also form the identity of the architecture as the materials themselves will used extensively in the façades light bar structures used on the ground floor areas  will tie the complexes to the promenade which runs approximately 1km along the elbe river where commerical units such as bars and restaurants will be located view of amenities which include commercial spaces such as bars and restaurantsimage © shigeru ban  exterior view of the residencesimage © shigeru ban double height view of a unit’s salonimage © shigeru ban model of double height salonimage © shigeru ban AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style the Hamburg Senate approved the Master Plan for the development of the new urban district HafenCity the hallmark of which was the Elbe Philharmonic — an architectural masterpiece by Herzog & de Meuron 20 years — good date й a term that allows you to objectively assess the results and success of a megaproject it is a reason to remember that the development of Hafencity began with a secret operation a secret conspiracy between the city and the corporation when most of the participants in the project either died or retired Hamburg is a city of merchants and sailors and its entire history and typology are subject to this Europe's largest port city on the Elbe was and remains an important transit and transshipment point on the trade route from London to Sweden and It was founded by Charlemagne in the 7th century as a fortress for protection from the northern Slavs Hamburg still keeps its annals from May 1189 when the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa granted the inhabitants the right to collect customs duties on cargo transported by the Elbe a warehouse quarter in the harbor of Hamburg The developer of the ambitious project was engineer Franz Andreas Meyer allowed Hamburg to become a huge wholesale market - the trade center of Europe copper utensils from Hungary were bought and sold here And also goods from the North - dried fish The free city was open to enterprising people from all over the world Calvinist refugees from the Netherlands traded in wool The first European coffee shops appeared in Hamburg which today is reminded of by the bronze coffee bean a sculpture installed on the Coffee Plaza in Hafencity The stratum of craftsmen was not very large but they supplied the market with locally produced goods - beer are today a mooring place for historic ships and pleasure boats Hafencity's historic dams and wharves became the basis for new buildings is one of the main magnets for tourists visiting Hamburg the territory of the current Hafencity was located outside the fortress wall and was mainly used as pasture Its current complex topography is explained by the fact that these lands were used as a port and underwent many interventions: a network of artificial canals was built coastal fortifications and dams were built to protect Hamburg from floods dozens of factories and industrial workshops appeared in Hafencity At the end of the XNUMXth century the transfer of the merchant fleet to container transportation caused a real revolution in port cities and in Hamburg in particular (read more about the transformation of cities near the water in the article "Bagnoli, Alicante, Rotterdam and Odessa. "Resort romance" of the city and the port» in volume #03 PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA) logistics changed — now merchant ships moored at the port for a short time sufficient to unload containers with cranes the need for storage facilities disappeared but the need for open areas for stacking arose the geopolitical situation also changed: the reunification of East and West Germany provoked a sharp economic rise which for Hamburg meant an equally sharp increase in trade turnover The old harbor no longer met the current technical requirements and the city authorities began to discuss the issue of building a new port and deciding the fate of the Speicherstadt warehouse quarter in the northern part of Hafencity Eight residential and office buildings were built on the coastal fortifications in the Zandtorkai quarter The project of the Ocean's End complex was developed by the architects Böge Lindner K2 Architekten The quarter was built on the border of the 20th and XNUMXth centuries after Hamburg obtained from iron chancellor Otto von Bismarck the return of free port status The construction of the warehouse quarter was preceded by the merciless demolition of more than a thousand buildings with the resettlement of XNUMX residents to the outskirts of Hamburg administrative buildings and banks in the neo-gothic style made of red brick along the artificial canals were erected using a special technology - on oak piles They were connected by arched steel bridges The Old Harbor is the main tourist attraction of Hamburg The architectural complex of Speicherstadt was seriously damaged by bombing during the Second World War and required painstaking reconstruction The restorers restored the smallest details of the buildings the brick warehouses of Speicherstadt were used as Europe's largest storage of oriental carpets - the special temperature regime and humidity in these historic buildings were the best for preserving the expensive and delicate goods which once guided ships into Hamburg's commercial port is now used as a restaurant overlooking the Philharmonic building All these years since the construction of the land and buildings of Speicherstadt have been owned by the city the Senate of Hamburg tried to vote on a project that provided for the privatization of real estate in the warehouse quarter But this intention caused a series of public protests after which the idea of ​​privatization was abandoned The quarter received the status of a protected Hamburg heritage site and was later included in the UNESCO World Heritage List It cannot be ruled out that the protests against the privatization of Speicherstadt in the late 80s preceded the secret Hafencity plan drew attention to a new global trend — tired of the silence and monotony of old residential areas people willingly moved to live and work in former industrial zones The factories no longer made noise and did not pollute the air Areas of the old harbor have become suitable for conversion and potentially commercially attractive needed new land in Altenwerder and investment to build a container terminal The development of the Hafencity concept was disguised as an educational project HHLA Director Peter Dietrich decided that a mutually beneficial agreement was possible between the corporation and the city an exchange of land and real estate in the old harbor on the territory of Altenwerder as well as investment from the city budget HHLA began to buy up warehouses in the old harbor These were mainly abandoned industrial enterprises and the owners were glad to get rid of them they knew the plans of the authorities on Hafencity then they would pay for their old warehouses and empty astronomical sums That is why the authorities resorted to what some might call deception or at least abuse of power and influence View of the Speicherstadt warehouse quarter A precious musical instrument: the construction of the building of the Elbe Philharmonic by Herzog & de Meuron cost Hamburg 789 million euros When all the real estate was concentrated in one hand unofficially ordered the creation of a concept for the development of the Hafencity port area by one of the most influential German architects of the post-war period it was Marg who was the most active participant in the campaign to preserve the integrity of Speicherstadt It can be assumed that even then he knew about Faucherau's long-term plans Marg taught urban planning at Aachen University He disguised the development of the concept as an educational project involved his assistants and students in the work The building of the Elbe Philharmonic is an ideal symbol of Hamburg in the XNUMXst century The presentation of the Hafencity revitalization project and its transformation into a new central mixed-use district took place in 1997 at the Übersee club at a party where the "fathers of the city" gathered and Mayor Henning Foscherau received full support The real estate package "Harbour and City" was transferred to the new municipal company HafenCity Hamburg GmbH which took over the management and development of the area And HHLA received financial support and carte blanche to build a new terminal in Altenwerder the new container terminal was recognized as the most innovative port in Europe the annual turnover of HHLA amounted to 110 million euros The promenade of Hafencity and the central part of Hamburg is a continuous promenade This story could be a great subject for a detective film and it is possible that such a film will be made at least it has already inspired the publicist and architectural critic Gert Koehler to create the book "The Secret HafenCity Project" Henning Faucherau and Folkvin Marg did not directly violate the law from the point of view of modern business and political ethics in the era of transparency and participation their actions balance on the border of what is permissible Since the historic and protected Speicherstadt was part of HafenCity, it was decided to preserve and restore as much as possible the historic quay walls, administrative buildings and port administration, bridges and even the old port cranes. It became an accent object Elbe Philharmonic Hafencity is considered Hamburg's flagship district a catalyst for urban development that sets new standards for Europe the architectural university HafenCity Universität Hamburg was founded here has already gained a reputation as an urban laboratory on a German scale the German branch of Lloyd's and Unilever moved their headquarters here Hafencity offers tourists a lot of pastime scenarios: you can listen to music at the Philharmonic look for treasures in the port museum-bazaar or the Maritime Museum admire the cruise liners docked at the Massimiliano Fuksas Terminal It is planned that 2025 thousand people will live in Hafencity by 15 And although real estate prices in the area are even higher than in the center of Hamburg the city is also building social housing for migrants wanting to avoid Hafencity becoming a ghetto for the wealthy About a third of the families are families with children for whom 6 kindergartens have already been opened Pragmatic Germans are planning infrastructure with a margin for the future - by 2022 a new school campus and a family center will appear in Hafencity the structure of which includes both a school and a kindergarten Since Hafencity is located outside Hamburg's main dam all buildings and almost all streets are built on plinths with a height of 7,5 to 8 m cafes and car parks are located on the basement floors Basement walls are protected by waterproofing coatings and doors and windows can be closed with waterproof shutters in case of flooding Hafencity continues to be actively developed It is planned that all construction works in the district will be completed in 2025 But public spaces and embankments are inundated — the flood protection strategy is to give the river space to overflow which will reduce the storm load on the city Barcelona-based architecture studio EMBT designed the Magellan and Marco Polo terraces – with multi-level topography and massive built-in street furniture that should not be damaged by the Elba flood in particular urban planners and architects often criticize the architecture of new buildings in Hafencity Authoritative architect Hadi Tehrani said in an interview with Der Spiegel that the new houses of Hafencity are inhabited mainly by expats but native Hamburgers will not want to live in a dense area where their personal boundaries may be violated The very architecture of buildings and public places often teeters on the edge of kitsch: "I really appreciate the architect Benedetta Tagliaba from the EMBT office in Barcelona (developers of the design of public spaces in Hafencity Hafencity's public spaces are periodically flooded the initiator of the large-scale revitalization project of Hamburg's old harbor Critics believe that the eclecticism and globalism of this "city within a city" is at odds with the Anglophile elegance and restraint of Hamburg's authentic red-brick quarters the material embodiment of this dissonance — the building of the Elbe Philharmonic — has already become an ideal symbol for XNUMXst century Hamburg a demonstration of almost limitless possibilities and continuity in architecture when the historical layer serves as the foundation for a futuristic new one +380 (44) 465 53 41 +380 (67) 638 76 00 hello@pragmatika.media https://pragmatika.media has a clear view of the Trostbrücke over the Nikolaifleet from his office window used to be Lake Alster’s main estuary into the Elbe River and hub of the commercial and Hanseatic city of Hamburg around 600 metres north in downtown Hamburg one of north Germany’s biggest shopping centres water damage has forced the owners to postpone the opening of the new centre with 80,500 m² of retail space until August established shopping streets in downtown Hamburg are now in urgent need of attractive links to the new area a round table discussion on the city centre focused on a cathedral axis as a potential link between downtown Hamburg and HafenCity the six-lane Willy-Brandt-Street is proving a real barrier and hinders the city centre Speicherstadt and HafenCity from growing together But that would no longer be an obstacle on the waterway "We would simply walk under it," says Ewers The architect explains his plan during a walk with a Hamburg News reporter who represented the prosperous new town with the port as its commercial centre "Hamburg's historic old town is an asset that we should exploit fully It is criss-crossed by more or less abandoned waterways We could start changing that immediately," he says pointing to the steps on the banks leading down to the water You could set up restaurants and people could enjoy a glass of wine in the evening sun All sorts of events like readings or concerts could be held and the pontoons could be accessed by pedal boats." Electric barges should also be considered to ferry people to the new German Port Museum in Kleiner Grasbrook such barges were used to bring fresh vegetables from the Vierlanden region to the city centre "Down here we can feel the exciting play of the tides inebriated by the Elbe and the North Sea." "You can see the half-timbered facades of the old office buildings from the water The buildings facing the street are mostly plastered The path under Willy-Brandt-Street leads to the Katharinen district From there you can take the direct (land) route to Übersee past Saint Catherine’s Church on Jungfern Bridge The route along Übersee-Boulevard to the new district is about a 12-minute walk You could also follow the Nikolaifleet to the “Theaterschiff” From the viewing point under the wooden bridge historic houses on Deichstreet and the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall are visible in the background weeds and the tree sprouting from the wall could becoming a thing of the past "Imagine a well-maintained place that has been revived with restaurants There is a plenty of untapped potential here," says Ewers The last section of the waterway would lead to the Deichstrasse "The jetty could be built relatively easily there The section between the 'Theaterschiff' and Deichstreet would cost an estimated mid-six-figure sum A feasiblity study would have to be done to determine the exact amount.” But the entrepreneur is convinced that the investment is worthwhile "Activating the waterways would help the economic revival of the old town and facilitate the opening of more restaurants and small shops." QR codes on panels with texts and photographs illustrating the history of the old town would round off the concept "Historical images could be projected onto the walls of bridges or facades to immerse visitors in the history of the city That could be used to re-enact the old town".ys/pb Marc Ewers is a qualified civil engineer and freelance architect his 20-strong team has focused on healthcare and industrial buildings such as the hospice at the Israelite Hospital the operating theatre extension for the Altona Hospital the new psychiatric ward at the Alsterdorf Protestant Hospital and paint shops for the Airbus Luftwerft in Finkenwerder.  Photo Caption: Rendering of Elbphilharmonie  Hamburg’s audacious Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall is scheduled to open in 2017 at the cost of $785 million seven years behind schedule and about $450 million over budget following severe construction challenges the building manages to eventually accomplish for Hamburg what the Opera House did for Sydney—as is the intention of Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron who accomplished something similar with London's Tate Modern—people will say the design had to be monumental in its aspirations and scope The Elbphilharmonie anchors Hamburg's HafenCity (Harbor City)—Europe’s largest urban redevelopment project Located at the entrance of Germany’s main shipping port HafenCity was designed around today's best urban planning practices with almost half of a metropolitan inner city to use as a live test bed Hamburg’s civic leaders proposed to build a new port across the Elbe River and convert the existing port There were only a few streets with warehouses salvageable for adaptive reuse the rest of the almost 400 acres of waterfront real estate was an empty slate for Europe’s top urban planners and architects to conceptualize and build a highly livable The city granted land plots to developers submitting the most innovative designs and every building was required to incorporate five-meter-high commercial spaces at street level to attract both Hamburgers and out-of-town visitors Because the biggest challenge for this monster endeavor was how to make the water-bound HafenCity an organic extension of the mainland versus remaining an island both geographically and socially During our conversation in HafenCity’s HQ office with Susanne Bühler she emphasized three priorities dictated by the masterplan There needed to be an organic mix of residential commercial and green spaces in 10 distinct districts It was important to attract families to live in HafenCity and rents needed to be as accessible as possible to attract the widest range of resident demographics “It's not easy to create a city,” said Bühler “Building a city is also a learning process,” alluding to the question: How do you infuse such a large city built almost from scratch with enough bodies to give it over 2,000 people live inside 1,500 apartments The goal is to eventually house 12,000 residents and 45,000 daily office workers from 450 companies by the time the entire port conversion is complete in 2027 there are 14,000 residents presently living in Hamburg’s existing city center “The social structure is really heterogeneous and that’s important because many people think HafenCity might be mostly for rich people but in fact it's not true,” explained Bühler “It’s also important that we have 14.5% of households with children The western half of HafenCity is now mostly complete welcomed its first two major new tenants this spring The Greenpeace Germany building opened as part of a waterfront complex with design-centric art galleries and restaurants capped by residential housing with a large children’s park overlooking the water The Greenpeace inner atrium is open to the public to explore exhibits chronicling the organization’s exploits worldwide Nearby, HafenCity University welcomed its first class of 2,000 students studying architecture, urban planning, engineering and "metropolitan culture." As an aside, the new underground train station near the school has become a bit of a thing among public transportation aficionados due to its nightclub ambience Bühler lights up during the discussion about the university and its role in this next generation livability laboratory “You really feel this new sense of energy now with all of these young people strolling around here,” she said Bühler was even somewhat excited about the Occupy Movement demonstrators who were protesting the rising taxpayer cost of the Elbphilharmonie during the weekend previous to our meeting Hundreds of heavily armed riot police with heavy-duty military vehicles and water cannons had rimmed HafenCity to dispel the protesters she said any kind of disruption brings a level of public discourse and confrontation that's important during the birth of any city which for her is much preferred to a static environment devoid of contradictory viewpoints “Although it is kind of a financial debacle we really believe in the Elbphilharmonie,” she said “This is a landmark and it's important for HafenCity but also Hamburg to compete among cities globally But this is also a sign of normalcy when people come to demonstrate and we feel this type of debate defines what a real city is.” Presently, 25hours Hotel Hamburg HafenCity is the only hotel in HafenCity with numerous branded hotels and independents located nearby in the historic core 25hours made a lot of buzz in hotel design circles with a bright orange shipping container inside the lobby More hotels are scheduled to open in the harbor city beginning in 2016 including a 200-room hotel in the Elbphilharmonie A new conference hotel is scheduled for development near the cruise ship docks work breaks ground on a family-themed hotel with extra large suites close to HafenCity's upcoming central park development The 13-room Stadthaushotel Hamburg is also developing a 90-room property in HafenCity Waterfront cafes are sprouting up everywhere because by the time HafenCity is complete the project will add almost eight miles of new seaside promenades along each sliver of water in the channels where freighters once docked dozens of independent restaurants and shops cater to both locals and tourists With only 2,000 permanent residents so far there is somewhat of a sense of emptiness on a few of the streets but at the same time there's a very real sense of community Locals are consistenly creating special events ranging from concerts to flea markets and seemingly everyone rides bikes in HafenCity to gather in all of the new parks and plazas After 72 hours in HafenCity without leaving its borders you start to wonder what constitutes a "real" city which is inherent in any project of this kind during the early phases of development After leaving in a taxi and arriving at Hamburg's main train station to go home suddenly the "real world" felt somewhat chaotic and disarming in contrast That's HafenCity's value as a travel destination By playing the role of a foil to the other half of Hamburg's downtown core you can experience the duality of the two and make your own decisions about the potential future of urban living "What tourists find interesting is that HafenCity isn't for tourists; we didn't build this as a kind of touristic enterprise although we did expect tourism," said Bühler "We tried to make [HafenCity] fit well with the historic city Greg Oates covers hotel/tourism development and travel brand media. email/twitter Wanderlust follows the latest stories in tourism and experiences from across the globe you agree to receive email communication from Skift Tags: germany hamburg Subscribe today to keep up with the latest travel industry news Already a subscriber? Login New users get20% offtheir first year of Skift Pro HafenCity's new Medical School Hamburg (MSH) university building is to set new standards in sustainability and innovation. The design presented in January envisages a "sustainable, social marketplace for people, content and ideas". The architects,  C.F. Møller, are relying on particularly sustainable materials and hope to save around 40 per cent CO2 during the construction phase alone MSH will use around 60 per cent of the space while the remainder will feature a restaurant The new university building will fit into its surroundings, says Andreas Kleinau, CEO of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH. "That means active climate protection during construction and operation an innovative construction method that opens up to the surrounding urban space and focuses on the users." Flexible and multifunctional worlds of learning for contemporary study have also been planned Some parts of building will be open to the public  The plans also foresee a main lecture hall and library The construction is based on recycled and recyclable materials renewable raw materials and the use of resource-saving gradient concrete Head of Real Estate Development Hamburg for the owner Patrizia AG education and the public is emerging in the Strandkai district." Founded in 2010 the private university trains doctors at accredited university level and offers other medical courses as well A joint building certificate called the "DGNB Special Environmental Label Award" has been set up to certify climate-neutral projects in HafenCity, Billebogen, Grasbrook and Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld among others, a press release said Wednesday (June 7 The award replaces HafenCity's ecolabel and the German Sustainable Building Council certification "We see it as our task to consistently and resolutely drive sustainable construction in the property sector to counteract climate change and to achieve climate neutrality," said Dr Andreas Kleinau, CEO of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH. "We are future-proofing the existing high sustainability standards in four urban development projects in HafenCity, Grasbrook Billebogen and Science City with our joint special award." Property owners will benefit from the DGNB system this year and gain improved access to national and international funding schemes The sustainability label should increase the market value value stability and competitiveness of buildings HafenCity Hamburg GmbH introduced the eco-label in 2007 to certify sustainable buildings nationwide The new "DGNB Special Ecolabel Award" takes ecological aspects such as the avoidance of CO2 emissions cycle-oriented construction and a supply of renewable energy sources nearby when certifying buildings a compatible microclimate as well as socially and environmentally-compatible transport must be guaranteed on site This should pave the way towards climate-neutrality in the property sector and sustainable urban development The Hamburg-based New Work SE is gearing up to open its new headquarters for German-speaking countries in HafenCity on September 16 More than 900 employees are to move into the former Unilever building which has won several architectural awards The interior has been redesigned for the so-called "New Work Harbour" after work lasting two years now hopes to create one of the most attractive working environments in Germany based on its employees’ needs and the latest scientific findings on modern working environments "We have created a place that is radically different from the office as we have known it," said Petra von Strombeck, CEO of New Work SE. The new building offers different work zones with emphasis on collaboration and more than a dozen spaces for diversion and relaxation All workstations can be chosen freely and are not permanently assigned to anyone "The pandemic has shown that in the home office we lack exchange and physical proximity in the long run We need a place where corporate culture comes alive." von Strombeck noted The Hamburg-based DC Developments is constructing a bold, state-of-the art, 16-storey sustainable office block in the Elbbrücken district at a cost of EUR 180 million. VTG will become the anchor tenant and can then avail of 18,000 square metres of floor space Construction is set to begin in early 2023 and will last through 2026 Then the company is expected to move its 600 employees from St The development and construction processes are based on the HafenCity Ecolabel the highest sustainability award for suburb there Apart from reduced operational energy requirements it includes recycled or reusable building materials produced with particularly low CO2 emissions Photovoltaic systems will supply green electricity A deconstruction concept documents the circularity of the building VTG AG, headquartered in Hamburg is a globally active asset and logistics company focusing on rail It hires out rail freight cars and tank containers and offers both multimodal logistics services and integrated digital solutions Its fleet consists of 88,500 rail freight cars including tank cars standard freight cars and sliding wall wagons as well as some 5,000 tank containers The company generated revenue of around EUR 1.2 billion (EUR 1,221 million) in the fiscal year 2021 and achieved an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 472 million North America and Eurasia and through associated companies Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker combines high-end residential units with offices for the real estate company The architects worked to harness the site's long views of Hamburg The Engels & Völkers offices are based on the ground level lobby – separate to the residential entrance – and the five floors above The residential element features two floors of rentals and 16 floors of private luxury condos The architects adopted a trademark approach of working with natural light, clean open-plan spaces and soft colours For more information, visit Richard Meier & Partners’ website Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox. Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper* She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006 visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas Ellie has also taken part in judging panels such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022) The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has opted to base its German headquarters on a building site 73 on Ericusgraben in HafenCity The site offers 13,000 square metres of office space and at least 800 square metres of a publicly accessible area The company is also considering a rooftop terrace with views of HafenCity and Speicherstadt MSC is owned by the Gianluigi Aponte family in Italy and has headquarters in Switzerland. In 2022, the company set up shop in the Speicherstadt. Last December, MSC and the City of Hamburg secured a 92 per cent stake in Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) to advance the strategic development of HHLA and the entire Port of Hamburg The transaction is subject to the pending approval of the Hamburg City Parliament and supervisory authorities A decision is expected in the course of 2024 During her last official act as senator, Dr Dorothee Stapelfeldt presented in December plans for the brand new suburb of Grasbrook as historic bridge-building and bringing the total number of suburbs in Hamburg to 106 on completion the former Managing Director of IBA Hamburg is now the incumbent Senator for Urban Development and Housing Stapelfeldt stressed: "Grasbrook offers our city a great opportunity to build a piece of the future centrally and to meet the huge challenges of fair and social housing climate and resource protection as well as new worlds of work." Around 3,000 apartments leisure and shopping facilities are being built on a 47-hectare site thereby creating 16,000 jobs Grasbrook is set to become particularly verdant with a large park and other green spaces spread out over the Moldauhafen quartier in the north and the Hafentor quartier while the O'Swaldkai terminal nearby will remain part of the port The train will cross the Norderelbe River and continue up a viaduct and stop at Moldauhafen Plans for an extension of the U4 to Wilhelmsburg are also being mulled Grasbrook is set to feature several short intelligent mobility routes so that all amenities can be reached within ten minutes on foot or by bicycle via pleasant avenues The idea is to develop a "green city on the water" green roofs and facades should make for a pleasant climate as such roofs keep the heat out and cool the interior Green roofs also add to biodiversity and habitat for insects and birds Rooftop plants and on facades filter pollutants and lower CO2 levels Solar energy and environment-friendly heat should reduce the carbon footprint and recyclable materials will be used in construction The senate has approved plans to build 1,400 apartments in Hafen City's Elbbrücken creating a mixed-use, climate-friendly suburb. The plans foresee apartments, offices nursery schools and recreational facilities "The HafenCity 13 planning area is exemplary in many respects Around 460 subsidised apartments are being built with emphasis on climate protection," said Karen Pein Open spaces such as the completed Amerigo Vespucci Square are to be created between the buildings The good public transport with connections from the Elbbrücken S-Bahn and U-Bahn station and car-sharing system with many e-cars make the district convenient and climate-friendly Sustainability is a top priority in the HafenCity 13 Many green spaces are to be created such as the Elbdünenpark on Kirchenpauerkai from environment-friendly materials Germany's highest residential building named "Roots" and which is made of wood will be built in Baakenhafen harbour Another cradle-to-cradle residential building called Moringa will be built from recyclable and pollutant-free materials in Elbbrücken outlined the concept of HafenCity as a catalyst for an economic HafenCity was to become a model European city centre These efforts yielded results when some of the first buildings won the “Hamburg Architecture Prize” or “Building of the Year” award HafenCity and Speicherstadt finally became an official suburb of Hamburg Art lovers will then be able to admire the works of the artists in the Team Labs collective Germany's third tallest skyscraper, after the Commerzbank Tower and the Messeturm in Frankfurt am Main, is being built on a triangular plot of land near the Elbe River. Designed by the world-famous British architect, Sir David Chipperfield, the 245-metre Elbtower will provide space for offices and art galleries on 65 floors on completion in 2025/26 Sensors will gauge weather conditions and reflect them visually turning the edifice into a vibrant sculpture and especially at nighttime The sustainably-designed skyscraper is being with less CO2 and reusable building materials The world's largest model railway took over 1 million hours to build at a cost of EUR 37 million so far ‘the hafencity university subway station’ in hamburg designed by munich-based firm raupach architekten was just re-envisioned and brought to life by pfarre lighting design the subterranean project is a result of a synthesis of the exterior’s materials lights and characteristics.being heavily rooted in the life around the harbor and the industrial nature that accompanies a powerful ambiance is created by hanging metal boxes weighing six tons each and with the exact dimensions of a standard shipping container (6.5m x 2.8m x 2.8m) in repetition over the middle of the platforms the translucent panels between the sharply defined frames glow  fromthe light of 280 individual RGB LED emitters in each capsule the colors can be coordinated by different sections in each free-hanging unit or as an entire set and can change to signal the arrival or departure of trains synchronize with the seasons or simply create an enjoyable environment the hanging boxes illuminate the cavernous underground image © markus tollhopf the large boxes are made from steel frames and translucent panelsimage © markus tollhopf individual panels of each box can be controlled to coordinate certain lighting effectsimage © markus tollhopf elevators lead down into the spacious platform glowing from the boxesimage © markus tollhopf entrance into the subway platformimage © markus tollhopf project: hafencity university subway station hamburgclient: hamburger hochbahn ag (hochbahn) germany date of completion: november 2012size: 4800 m2architects – general contractor: raupach architekten By Nick Foster Simply sign up to the Life & Arts myFT Digest -- delivered directly to your inbox Frankfurt and Berlin have been the focus of recent reports on Germany’s residential real estate boom the country’s second most populous city with 1.8m residents a scheme to rebuild 157 hectares of decommissioned harbour space on a previously fenced-off site that few locals visited will increase the size of the city centre by up to 40 per cent “This is a huge chance for Hamburg,” says Susanne Bühler “The old harbour is very centrally located and is under a kilometre from the town hall and just three or four minutes away by underground railway.” By 2025 it is expected that HafenCity will have 12,000 residents with 45,000 people working in the district some in stunning apartment blocks with views of the river Elbe where property changes hands for more than €10,000 per sq metre On the water and close to Unilever’s ship-like German headquarters slightly irregular contours bring to mind the leaves of a plant an 11th-floor apartment with three bedrooms and two bathrooms spread over 116 sq metres of living space – plus a terrace a single underground parking space and concierge service – is on sale for €1.39m through Dahler & Company There is a surprising variety of architectural styles in HafenCity due in part to the fact that few buildings in the district were considered worth preserving so the great majority of construction is new Another reason concerns the specific tendering process decided by the city authorities “Building plots are not sold to the highest bidder,” says Bühler 56 building projects have been completed and 49 are under construction or being planned One that is almost ready for delivery is a specially designed apartment block called the Musikerhaus containing soundproofed units for musicians so they can practise without disturbing their neighbours the new Elbphilharmonie concert hall at the western tip of HafenCity – which it is hoped will provide a new focal point for the city – has been delayed and is running over budget The first concerts are likely to be performed in 2017 designed by Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron (which converted London’s Bankside Power Station to house the Tate Modern) will also contain a hotel and about 45 high-end apartments The expectation is that HafenCity will breathe new life into central Hamburg The core of the city is buzzing during the working day – this is Germany’s traditional home of print media – while the high-end shopping district around Neuer Wall with its streets spread out over a lattice of canals and bridges Hamburg’s postwar reconstruction favoured a strict separation of functions with dormitory suburbs located at a distance from the city centres where people worked and shopped only about 14,000 people live in Hamburg’s historical centre but demand for housing there has become intense Artist’s impression of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall “Almost as soon as we deliver [housing units] they are taken out of our hands,” says Quentin Sharp a member of the managing board of Deutsche Immobilien the property developer behind the Stahltwiete housing scheme a low-rise development about 5km from the city centre three-quarters of the 127 units were sold before construction began two-bedroom penthouse apartment at Stahltwiete is available for €527,000 Although English and other western European languages are heard less frequently on its streets than in Berlin or Frankfurt – and Hamburg may appear much less cosmopolitan than the capital – Sharp says the city has “great German flair” “It’s a huge economic magnet for the north of the country and functions as a port of entry for much of Scandinavia,” says Sharp who was born and raised in Cornwall but has lived in Germany since 1988 the city has calculated that it needs to build 6,000 new housing units a year to keep pace with demand According to the German Real Estate Association the average used two-bedroom apartment in Hamburg (including units sold with long-term tenants) costs €1,900 per sq metre Using the same methodology the same unit would cost €1,550 per sq metre in Berlin (up 6.9 per cent in 2013) but considerably more in Munich (€3,150 per sq metre “Even with the increase in prices in the last few years – some of which have been steep – Germany’s property market is very stable and has none of the volatility of some other European countries,” says Sharp Hamburgers enjoy the outdoor life: the centrally located Alster Lake is full of sailing boats in the summer months and sometimes skaters during the winter Some of Hamburg’s most expensive homes are on the shore of the lake or in the smart residential districts to the north known as the Alstertal a Bauhaus-style villa on a 2,286 sq metre plot in Hummelsbüttel – an area convenient for the city’s international airport – with 316 sq metres of living space containing three bedrooms and two bathrooms is on sale for €2.95m through Engel & Völkers ● Property transfer tax is 4.5 per cent of the sale price Buyers usually need to budget 6.25 per cent for an estate agent’s commission ● Hamburg is about 1 hour and 40 minutes from Berlin by train ● The city has about 2,500 bridges – more than Amsterdam ● Winters are cold and blustery and the proximity of the North Sea means it can be cool in the summer €250,000 A two-bedroom apartment close to the city’s main park €1m A two-bedroom off-plan apartment in HafenCity €5m A new four-bedroom apartment overlooking the river Elbe in Othmarschen in the hafencity quarter of hamburg, germany, international practice gmp architekten will be designing the new ‘elbbrucken underground station’ that will for the time being act as the terminal station for the newly added U4 line the rounded reticulated steel girders form a permeated tunnel-like structure extending out towards the river elbe surrounded by historic bridges and a rapidly developing urban zone beneath the steel structure a series of glass panels are suspended creating a separate interior glazed skin that controls direct sunlight without detracting from the gridded exterior elements all level changes and circulation changesare handled entirely in the interior freeing the immediate site from a clutter of unnecessary excavations or crossing pathways exterior site in front of the river elbeimage © gmp competition: 2013 – winnerdesign: volkwin marg with stephanie jöbschpartner: jürgen hillmerproject management: stephanie jöbschdesign team: achim wangler katja mezgerstructural design: schlaich bergermann and partnersclient: hamburger hochbahn AG