Concepts

The City of Plazas, Parks and Promenades

The new neighborhood enriches Hamburg with exciting, new urban spaces on the water and beside it

The Marco Polo Terraces with their many levels incline from the flood-protected elevation down to the lower promenade linked by ramps and steps (© ELBE&FLUT) Start slideshow

The significance of urban open space for HafenCity is clear from just a few key figures: 24 percent of its land area – 26 hectares – will be open space. All open spaces, whether parks or promenades, are on the waterside; the shoreline extends 10.5km.  Water surfaces in harbor basins and the River Elbe are all “islands of fresh air”, opening up views.  In addition to the public open spaces, which are closely interlocked and well connected to one another, publicly accessible private open spaces account for a further 13 percent.   
 

Mediterranean airiness with austere port influences

Architectural firm EMBT Arquitectes Associates designed the largely completed urban spaces in the western section of HafenCity, an elaborate and esthetic interplay between water and land; severe forms typical of a port contrast with airy Mediterranean influences. Two large terraced squares were created at the heads of the Sandtorhafen and Grasbrookhafen harbor basins. The Magellan Terraces (5,600 sqm), completed in 2005, cascade down to the water on several levels. With its rather hard surfaces, this amphitheater-like plaza with its urban character is multi-functional.

From here the gaze sweeps across to the Traditional Ship Harbor in Sandtor-hafen, opened in 2008; this 5,800 sqm floating promenade rises and falls with the tide, providing permanent moorings for up to 30 historic watercraft. With the opening of HafenCity’s first verdant park in 2010, the 6,000 sqm Sandtorpark in the next-door quarter, this open space ensemble is now complete.

The Marco Polo Terraces (7,800 sqm) opened in 2007. Grass islands, wooden decks and trees break them down into smaller sections, so that they appear more sheltered, green and soft. In Grasbrookhafen harbor, a privately operated pleasure-craft marina is planned.

Promenades along the quays link these varied urban spaces. From Sandtorkai promenade, for instance, walkers or cyclists can reach Kaiserkai promenade via Magellan Terraces; it leads past historic port cranes to the forecourt of the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, merging into Dalmannkai promenade. Here the Dalmannkai steps drop down in green, tree-lined levels to Grasbrookhafen.

Vasco da Gama Plaza, also alongside the promenade, is a popular meeting place with outside eating areas and space for basketball. South of the Marco Polo Terraces strollers reach the new Elbterrassen steps, after passing through Grosser Grasbrook and the publicly accessible mall in Unilever House.

On foot from the Inner Alster to Magdeburger Hafen

Architect Beth Galí and her firm BB + GG arquitectes (Barcelona) won the competition for landscaping central HafenCity – in other words Überseequartier and Magdeburger Hafen harbor. For the promenade on Osakaallee and the new Dar es Salaam square the firm chose natural granite slabs intersected by paving stones recycled from old quays. A similar combination can be found in Überseequartier and on the plaza (completed 2008) in front of the International Maritime Museum Hamburg. The design unifies the various open areas into one large urban space, whose completion was celebrated with a street party in June 2001.

With the advent of the new area around Magdeburger Hafen, HafenCity and the existing city center are growing together. The Inner Alster is only 900m away and thus just a few minutes’ walk from Magdeburger Hafen, interconnected by the central “Domplatz” axis. Inside HafenCity, Überseequartier, Elbtorquar-tier and Brooktorquartier are closely connected, for instance via the new Busanbrücke bridge, opened in December 2010. An embankment promenade up to 12m wide runs along the western side of Magdeburger Hafen.

Ramps, steps and clumps of green shrubs lead from road level onto the historic quay level. A waterside pavilion is built into the difference in elevation; an exhibition illustrating the sustainability aspects of HafenCity has been on show since May 2011.

Stone sofa for a pleasant pause

At the head of Magdeburger Hafen is the most important entrance to Hafen-City, Dar es Salaam square, an attractive place that faces south to the harbor basin, with sweeping views to the Elbe.  The new bridge, Leonbrücke, links the square with Brooktorkai promenade, opened 2010 and leading alongside the Germanische Lloyd building to Ericus-spitze and the Spiegel building. A special design feature, a 30m stone “sofa”, is an invitation to stop for a while. WES & Partner Landschaftsarchitekten (Hamburg) were responsible for most of the design of this open space.

The Ericusspitze promenade, the continuation of Brooktorkai promenade, was ready in fall 2011, its spacious flight of steps inviting people to change levels. They can then reach the new Spiegel publishing house on foot from there, as well as a funnel-shaped plaza with views of Ericus canal and Oberhafen harbor basin, and, in future, Lohsepark.

On the eastern side of Magdeburger Hafen, an ensemble of buildings with an urban loggia has been taking shape since spring 2011. This two-story arcade space, closely interlinked with the pier promenade being built in front of it, will form the new cantilevered waterline on the east side of the harbor basin. It links the square in front of Kaispeicher B warehouse to open spaces at HafenCity University, since the pier continues southwards under Baakenbrücke bridge. This offers an attractive route without road crossings through to Lohsepark, Baakenhafen basin and the Elbe.

Spacious green spaces and play areas

In the west, Sandtorpark, with its mounds, trees and a grassy play area, is the urban planning element unifying a variety of uses, since the materials and ground surface design used for the Magellan Terraces continues around the open space surrounding the park. The green area, in use since April 2011, is also used by neighboring Katharinen school. The 850 sqm Treasure Island playground close by at View Point has been populated by children since 2008, but as soon as Grasbrookpark is ready in 2013, it will be replaced by a significantly larger play area.