Quarters

HafenCity's New Knowledge Quarter

An innovative and sustainable “knowledge quarter” is emerging east of Magdeburger Hafen, home of HafenCity University, Greenpeace headquarters and designport hamburg

Elbtorquartier's appearance is still characterized by undeveloped spaces and existing building stock. But between 2010 and 2013 the future "Knowledge Quarter" will be HafenCity's main building site. The new U4 subway is under construction in the southern part (© ELBE&FLUT) Start slideshow

A lively “knowledge quarter” is evolving between Magdeburger Hafen, Brook­torhafen and Am Lohsepark neighbor­hood. It owes its special atmosphere both to HafenCity University with its 2,000 stu­dents and to other pioneering projects.

The urban planning conception for Elb­torquartier picks up on a variety of typol­ogies. While buildings of up to 70m will be erected in the south, an elongated block structure approximately 170m long to the east ties into the existing built structure along Hongkongstrasse, which is also replicated in Magdeburger Hafen.

Impressive bridge links west and east

Pedestrians can take a path leading from the Speicherstadt across Leon­brücke bridge directly into the shopping mall in the listed Kaispeicher B building (40). This is the oldest structure in HafenCity, dating back to 1879; it forms the distinctive northern entrée to the area. Since summer 2008 it has housed the International Maritime Museum Hamburg.

Both Leonbrücke bridge (architect: Dietmar Feichtinger; engineers: WTM Engineers) and the converted Kaispei­cher B warehouse (MRLV Marcovic Ronai Voss architects) won Hamburg Architec­ture of the Year awards in 2007 from the Hamburg association of architects and engineers. As the developer of the bridge, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH shared the award.

Continuing through the museum’s shopping arcade, visitors arrive on Muse­umsplatz, where a new harbor motor launch landing stage was inaugurated in summer 2012. The adjoining pier, 325m long and 10m wide, leading along Magdeburger Hafen,will eventually pass beneath Baakenbrücke bridge. Walkers and cyclists will therefore have an unob­structed route through to Baakenhafen and to the Elbe embankment. In combi­nation with the “warft” basement of the Elbe Arcadesthis is a special place , right by the water.

The historic bridge dating from 1931 and renamed Busanbrücke is the most significant east-west link for pedestrians and cyclists in central HafenCity. It connects western and central neighborhoods to eastern HafenCity. Like the surrounding prome­nades, it is paved with natural stone slabs in a stripe pattern with plenty of space for all users.

Elbe arcades focus on sustainability and design

To the south of Busanbrücke, the Elbe Arcades, a meandering ensemble of buildings providing around 31,000 sqm gross floor area, is under construc­tion. Designed by Bob Gysin + Partner BGP architects (Zurich), by mid-2013 this will provide a good 30,000 sqm space for a variety of uses. The buildings offer space on two levels– over the water, and in the floodproof “warft” basement level – for cafés, shops and exhibitions. Unique in HafenCity so far is the city “loggia”, an arcade space around 10m deep and 8m high with good views to the west.

The two northern building sub-plots will provide a total 90 living spaces. Around 50 of the apartments are being built for the HeimatHafen project (43) by Garbe Group and Otto Wulff. Their flexible layouts offer a variety of uses, from multi-generation homes through living/working lofts, duplex apartments to wheelchair-accessible units for seniors. The other 40 living spaces (44a) are reserved for design-related uses.

Two outstanding creative organizations also moving into the new building are: designxport – a Hamburg creative industry network– and iF Forum Design. In the central section (44b) designxport will occupy the base­ment and ground levels. This will provide a large public exhibition and event space including a design archive with library and a shopwhich for the first time gives the Ham­burg design and creative industry its own central com­munication and representational platform events.

Moving into the southern section of the ensemble are the German headquarters of the Greenpeace environmental organi­zation and eco-power supplier Green­peace Energy (45). Since the users have high demands of the building in terms of sustainability, it has already been pre-certified with the HafenCity Ecolabel in gold. Archi­tect Bob Gysin conferred with experts for energy-efficient construction right back at the competition stage.

Already occupied since 2011 is a new office building in the northern section designed by Winking, Froh Architekten (Hamburg/Berlin) for Hamburg’s central customs office, HafenCity Customs Office. Opposite it the existing building housing the company Gebr.Heinemann is augmenting its existing site with an additional building offering 7,000 sqm (construction starts 2014).