HafenCity Project

HafenCity - facts and figures

The most important facts and figures about what is currently Europe’s biggest inner-city development project, its varied quarters and land use concepts

Essential facts and figures about Europe’s biggest inner-city development project now, its varied neighborhoods and land use concepts
Status: March 2012

 Overview

1. Essential facts  & figures
2. Development Management and HafenCity Hamburg GmbH
3. Development of HafenCity
4. Land use - current status
5. Sustainable HafenCity
6. Quarters

 

1. ESSENTIAL FACTS & FIGURES

HafenCity covers an area of 157 hectares, making it one of the most prominent inner-city waterfront development projects in the world. Based on a new concept for urban living, it will increase the size of Hamburg City by 40 percent (Hamburg has a population of approx. 1.78 million, the Hamburg Metropolitan Region 4.3 million). Between the historic Speicherstadt warehouse district and the River Elbe a new city with a cosmopolitan mix of homes, service businesses, culture, leisure, tourism and commerce is emerging. Structures typical of a port will be retained. The development is being managed by HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, a 100-per cent subsidiary of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The time-frame for development of the entire area extends to circa 2025. HafenCity is already rated as the model project for international waterfront and “new downtown” development.

Key data

• Total area: 157 hectares (ha)
• Land area: 126 ha
• Expansion of Hamburg City by 40 %
• Gross floor area (GFA): new building circa 2.32 million m²
• 6,000 homes and more than 45,000 jobs will be created
• 10.5 km of new waterfront with promenades and squares
• Around 26 ha public parks, squares and promenades
• Currently 49 projects are completed; another 35 under construction or planned
• Over 1 million m² GFA already confirmed through sales of land or exclusive options with planning obligations
• Previous to sale approx. 99 % of sites suitable for construction are publicly owned (“Stadt und Hafen” special fund under public law represented by HafenCity Hamburg GmbH)
• Investment volume: private investment approx. € 8 billion; public investment: circa € 2.4 billion, primarily financed out of sales of land in HafenCity (circa € 1.5 billion)
• General basis for planning:
  ◦Masterplan 2000
  ◦Masterplan revision eastern HafenCity 2010

 2. DEVELOPEMENT MANAGEMENT AND HAFENCITY HAMBURG GMBH

Major urban development projects call for strong interaction and coalescence between conception and realization. In particular, because of the high level of development and the considerable intricacy involved in closely coordinating public investment (circa EUR 2,4 billion) with acquisition of private investment (around EUR 8 billion) the resulting responsibilities are very complex and demand strong management.

In 1997 a port and location development company (GHS) was set up to manage the development of HafenCity – since 2004 it has been known as HafenCity Hamburg GmbH. It is responsible for the "special city and port fund" under public law: sales of land and areas of HafenCity almost completely owned by the City of Hamburg finance the lion’s share of public investment, notably roads, bridges, squares, parks, quays and promenades. In addition to this financing responsibility, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH also clears and prepares sites, plans and builds infrastructure and public spaces, acquires and contracts real estate developers and larger users, and is responsible for public relations and communication.

HafenCity Hamburg GmbH is a 100 percent subsidiary of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.  It is developing HafenCity at Hamburg’s behest.  Public supervision, cooperation, and the division of responsibilities are demanding: the supervisory board of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH consists of members of the city senate. Hamburg is a municipality and one of the 16 federal states of Germany. Sales and options (with an obligation to plan) on land purchases have to be approved by the Land Commission; zoning plans are subject to consultation and approval from the Commission of Urban Development (made up largely of parliamentary and local government representatives), zoning plans are processed by the Ministry of Urban Development and Environment and permits issued by it. Competition juries for urban planning and open space competitions as well as competitions for buildings are constituted, in addition to representatives of private developers and independent architects, by the Ministry of Urban Development and Environment (chief planning officer), the district council, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH and several politicians (from Mitte district or the city parliament).

By concentrating non-official functions in a dedicated development company of its own, Hamburg can ensure the efficiency and quality of the urban development project, yet through intensive division of labor and control also retain a high degree of public accountability.

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"A park for everyone" – Sandtorpark opens with a local street party

HafenCity’s first green park, Sandtorpark, is to be opened with a neighborhood street party. From now on this green space is available to residents and visitors to HafenCity, children from the school and kindergarten or employees from surrounding workplaces to enjoy. It covers 6000 sq.m, forms the green heart of the second neighborhood in HafenCity to reach completion, and is an important place for free time, relaxation and conviviality. The neighborhood festivities are organized by more than 25 of the companies around Sandtorpark, together with social and cultural institutions and residents, and offers entertainment variety on the stage and plenty of play activities for children.

Sandtorpark is small but perfectly formed. This neighborhood park the size of a soccer pitch was the last of a series of public plazas in western HafenCity to take shape. The district’s first green and leafy park can be reached from the floating pontoons in the Traditional Ship Harbor via the Magellan Terraces. A level lawn space forms the center of the park; it is surrounded by grassy knolls up to two meters high, planted with trees. A total of 27 trees more than 20 years old have been planted, including swamp oaks, sweet chestnut, magnolia, sweet gum and Japanese flowering cherry. It is clear at a glance that the park is also meant for children: special play elements have been specially designed, including sandboxes formed like "sand boats". For children from the nearby Katharinenschule and kindergarten especially, the park’s inviting lawns offer extra places for letting off steam and play.

The neighborhood is really excited about Sandtorpark and everyone is looking forward to using the new green space for breaks and convivialty. The mounds in the lawns, as well as the 25 places for stretching out in the sun and up to 350 seating places, are ideal for unwinding on. The area is bordered by parapets separating it from Großer Grasbrook street. To the east, the grassy area merges into steps leading to a spacious paved plateau that will be used in future for outdoor serving of food and drinks.

Sandtorpark was designed by EMBT architects of Barcelona, which is responsible for open space landscaping in western HafenCity. As with other HafenCity open spaces, the seamless transition between public and private spaces has been very successful. Visitors will hardly notice that the public lawns directly adjoin the private spaces of the adjacent Neumann group. An interesting detail are the information columns illustrating the transformation of the place from a port area (Sandtor harbor basin) to a building for coffee storage and then into a small city park. The park is the last stage in the very changeable urban history of the location.

Sandtorpark is also the green center of the ubiquitous neighborhood, which is largely completed and occupied. Katharinenschule primary school has been teaching children since 2009. Since then the school has been an important gelling element for neighborhood life. Other striking buildings are the Hamburg-America Center, SKAI building, International Coffee Plaza and Centurion building. Since the end of 2010, residents of Hofquartier and Hafenliebe joint building venture have been living in their apartments right next door to the school. Ground floor spaces in the area now house many restaurants, cafes and shops, some of them unusual and innovative concepts. The principle of mixed uses has been particularly consistent in this neighborhood. In order for a vibrant neighborhood to develop through the varied user groups each with their own interests, it is important to bring the individual parties into contact with each other at an early stage. The joint concept, organization and financing of the neighborhood street party is an important contribution to that development.

Organizers of the neighborhood street party are:
Amerikazentrum Hamburg // Brücke-Ökumenisches Forum // Buss Group // Coa // CompanyKids HafenCity // Dahler & Company // DC Commercial // E-Collection // E-Mobility // HafenCity Hamburg GmbH // Hamburger Filmwerkstatt // Hauptkirche St. Katharinen // Internationale Apotheke // Katharinenhort HafenCity // Katharinenschule HafenCity // Look // Netzwerk HafenCity e.V. // Neumann Kaffee Gruppe // Otto Wulff // pme Familienservice GmbH // Restaurant Zum Schiffchen // Richard Ditting GmbH & Co. KG // St. Katharinen Kita in der HafenCity // Störtebeker SV // Union Investment // Wölbern Invest KG and many more supporters


Press contact:
Susanne Bühler, Press and Public Relations, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH
Tel: +49 40 37 47 26 14, email: Buehler@hafencity.com