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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Ecumenical Forum foundation stone is laid

In a festive ceremony, the foundation stone for the Ecumenical Forum was laid on October 25, 2010 in HafenCity. This project, the first of its kind in Germany, is sponsored by 19 Christian churches in Hamburg. The Saarbrücken architects Wandel, Hoefer, Lorch + Hirsch won the competition to design the 4,600 sq. m building in July 2009. The seven story structure in Elbtorquartier will boast an undulating façade in classical red-brick style. On the street side, a large cross and a bell will be set in vaulted niches.

The developer is Grundstücksgesellschaft Shanghaiallee/HafenCity GbR, supported and financed by the Evangelical-Lutheran dioceses of Hamburg-East and Hamburg-West/South Holstein and the Northelbian Lutheran Protestant Church. Construction will adhere to the strict sustainability standards of the HafenCity Ecolabel in gold.

The ground floor of the building will contain the ecumenical chapel and the ElbFaire World Café as well as function rooms and a church information center. Located on the first floor will be the episcopal chancery of the Northelbian Lutheran Protestant Church for the dioceses of Hamburg and Lübeck; additional church institutions, including the working committee of the Christian churches in Hamburg, will be housed on the third floor.

In the three stories above, about 20 apartments will be shared by people invited by the Brücke to live communally and work together towards an ecumenical and multigenerational community in the new city district. A large communal area on the 6th floor will serve as a convent for the Laurentius ecumenical spiritual community. Pastoral offices will also be here, as well as guestrooms for ecumenical hospitality: a place of contact for pilgrims, young people from Germany or abroad, and people spending time with the community.

The Ecumenical Forum has been present in HafenCity for several years. A small, provisional chapel was opened in December 2008 as a temporary measure; a place of stillness, prayer and encounter amid the cranes and construction activity near the SAP building. "With our daily prayers in the chapel, additional activities and our involvement in Netzwerk HafenCity e.V., we are already playing a part in the multifaceted life evolving in HafenCity," said Pastor Antje Heider-Rottwilm, a member of the Laurentius Convent. "The chapel in Shanghaiallee will also be a place of contemplation and prayer for many people in future amid the hustle and bustle of HafenCity."