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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Intelligent Quarters in Hamburg’s HafenCity

Visualization of the winners draft "Intelligent Quarters" (© Störmer Murphy and Partners)

Störmer Murphy and Partners win architectural competition launched by ECE
70-meter office tower – a new landmark

Hamburg-based ECE plans a new project in Elbtorquartier at the heart of HafenCity called the Intelligent Quarters. The site is adjacent to the Elbe River, between Magdeburger Hafen basin and the future Hafen City University (HCU). Visible from afar, a 70m office building is to be built on the waterfront in Elbtorquartier, together with two more buildings, to will include homes and ground-floor publicly accessible uses. Seven international and national firms of architects took part in the Intelligent Quarters architectural competition organized by ECE in cooperation with HafenCity Hamburg GmbH and the Hamburg Urban Development and Environment Ministry. The winner was Störmer Murphy and Partners, Hamburg.

Hamburg, 5 December 2011 – In central HafenCity a special place is beginning to take shape: the Intelligent Quarters located right on the Elbe waterfront and along south-eastern Magdeburger Hafen. The complex of buildings is the direct neighbor of HCU, the German headquarters of Greenpeace, the Hamburg designport and other creative uses. ECE plans to build an office tower around 70 meters high on a waterside site of some 9,100m² in southern Elbtorquartier. This landmark will be a visible from a distance and accompanied by an additional pair of buildings – including 60 apartments and ground-floor public amenities. A square opening towards the water shared with HCU will be a pleasant place for a pause and underlines the architectonic qualities of this special place. Kühne Logistics University (KLU), originally part of this project, plans to remain long term in HafenCity and seek premises, although for reasons of speed it will opt for an existing building.

Access to the Intelligent Quarters will be easy via two new subway stations. The complex is also adjacent to Lohsepark, central Überseequartier and Magdeburger Hafen. The subterranean rapid transit line poses a particular challenge for construction on the site.

The Intelligent Quarters will provide a total of around 30,000m² gross floor area. Together with Überseequartier across the way and the wharf tip still to be built upon on southern Baakenhafen, the Intelligent Quarters and HCU will form the “Maritime Triangle”.

The buildings are planned to match up to the stringent standards of the HafenCity gold Ecolabel as well as the requirements of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). Construction of the Intelligent Quarters should begin in the fourth quarter of 2012, with the individual buildings completed sequentially from the end of 2014.

Seven architectural firms from Germany and abroad competed in the architectural contest. The jury was chaired by Professor Carlo Baumschläger, professor of architecture and town planning at the Academy of Decorative Art, Munich, and the panel included Hamburg’s chief planning director Professor Jörn Walter, the chief executive of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg and ECE chief executive Alexander Otto.

The jury evaluated the urban and architectural qualities of the designs, as well as the way the ensemble would fit into the surroundings, the quality of the squares and public space to be created. It was the overall urban planning composition of the winning concept, with its orientation towards the water and outstanding design qualities, that convinced the jury. The chosen positioning of the buildings creates interesting and well-proportioned squares and exterior spaces. The office tower is made up of two slightly askew trapezoid structures and its spacious areas for public amenities will enliven the surrounding area.

Hamburg’s chief planning director, Professor Jörn Walter:

“Störmer and Murphy have cleverly picked up on the dynamics of HCU and rounded the quarter off into a meaningful ensemble. HCU’s façade is also referenced in the light-colored ceramics. Thus Magdeburger Hafen is provided with an elegant finish, simultaneously making an inviting gesture in opening out in the direction of the Elbe.”

Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg, chief executive of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH:

“The Intelligent Quarters, together with HafenCity University, will link together the center and east of HafenCity between Magdeburger Hafen and Baakenhafen, putting a felicitous architectonic stamp of their own on the area.”

ECE CEO Alexander Otto:

“With its superb waterside architecture and a mix of homes, workplaces and leisure, the Intelligent Quarters represent a central element in the future center of HafenCity. The office tower also offers a tremendous panoramic view of the whole of Hamburg.”

About ECE

ECE of Hamburg has been developing, planning, realizing, leasing and managing major commercial properties since 1985, including corporate headquarters, offices blocks, transportation premises, industrial buildings, logistics centers and shopping centers. ECE has more than 400,000m² of office space under management, including around 130,000m² in Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. In addition to the ThyssenKrupp quarter in Essen, ECE’s successful track record includes the German headquarters in Hamburg of multinational Philips, Europe’s largest goods distribution center in Haldensleben near Magdeburg, as well as the main stations in Leipzig, Cologne and Hanover and Bahnhof City West in Vienna. The construction and planning volume runs at a constant EUR 4bn. ECE also manages 140 shopping malls which makes it European market leader in the development, construction and operation of shopping centers.

For enquiries please contact:

HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, Susanne Bühler, Head of Press and Public Relations, tel: 040-374726-14, email: Buehler@HafenCity.com

Pressebilder: https://presse.hafencity.com/