Quarters
Oberhafen – the Creative and Cultural Quarter
Centrally located to the south of Oberhafen harbor basin, a dynamic cultural and creative neighborhood will develop, bringing fresh potential for Hamburg
The centrally located Oberhafen neighborhood is well connected to the rest of HafenCity. Later it will also encompass the Central Wholesale Market site to the east and its creative influence will spill over into the central neighborhoods of HafenCity, Rotenburgsort, City Süd and the "museum mile" (© ELBE&FLUT) Start slideshow
Today the area is still dedicated as a rail depot; most buildings are still occupied and continue to be used primarily for logistics activities, at least until 2014. The few vacant lots have already been occupied by creative lessees however.But the future looks quite different, for Oberhafen is destined to become the nucleus of a creative and cultural neighborhood, which is well connected to the rest of HafenCity but also to Rothenburgsort, new cultural activities in City Süd, and Hamburg’s “museum mile”.
Here, the conventional HafenCity development process has been turned on its head. Instead of the objective being a new urban concept, the point of departure for development here is to find new uses for existing buildings, which will take place step by step, focusing on the mostly single-story goods sheds. The plots will not be sold, but remain the permanent property of the Special Fund for City and Port (HafenCity Hamburg GmbH) so as to be able to shape development in Hamburg’s interests.
Opportunities for the culture and creative industries
Long warehouses and multi-story fron-tage buildings are the main features of Oberhafen neighborhood. Converting these buildings will lend them a very public character. Nevertheless, new change of use permits and considerable modernization will be needed, as well as flood-protection for individual buildings.
In the medium term, new-builds will join the existing buildings. Private or cooperative investment could be possible if new buildings are used for cultural and creative purposes and, like older buildings, sublet at affordable rents. The quarter’s mix of old and new could create around 500 jobs in various cultural creative industry branches. They could form the basis for a lasting creative scene in Oberhafen that could spill over later into the Central Wholesale Market site to the east.
Despite the difficult local conditions, an expression of interest enquiry at the beginning of 2012 set out to find a use concept for a newly vacant 600 sqm site that could help in the initial phase to establish and brand the new culture and creative industry location. An interdisciplinary board of experts selected one of the 15 concept proposals submitted, and a further five were recommended for medium-term implementation on other sites in the quarter.
Dialog-oriented development
The various development concepts for the neighborhood will be worked out through an intense dialog process, based on a longer development timeframe of around 15 years. Throughout the development phase, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH will be cooperating closely with Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft GmbH. At the same time, energetic exchanges of ideas are taking place with creative enterprises and many other creative and interested individuals. A kick-off symposium at the end of March 2011 generated the first impetus. This will be followed by other events and discussions.
Sports field on the waterfront
Although creative and cultural uses will be an important focus in Oberhafen, unbuilt areas in the neighborhood also offer opportunities for a range of sport and leisure activities.
Extensive facilities for all kinds of sports will be developed on the site of former rail tracks from 2014/15, including a soccer ground by the water. The new recreational options will be available to all residents, employees and visitors to HafenCity and to sports clubs. The second primary and secondary schools planned for the southeastern frontage of Lohsepark will also be able to make use of these fields.
