Competition Hafencity – Elbbrücken Quarter

Gate situations are the main theme of the spatial urban system  – not just as a symbol for the entrance to the city of Hamburg, but also inside the Elbbrücken Quarter, in many different scales. Those gate situations are spatially constricted transition spaces and thresholds marking and staging the different areas of the quarter. The wide vistas of the former masterplan which created large-scale connections through the whole area are interrupted by those gates and subdivided into a finer spatial sequence. This results in noise- and wind-protected areas providing shelter and interesting views; green courtyards capture the Western sun and create connected neighborhoods away from street traffic.

The contrast of large-scale spaces – as the Baaken Harbour space and the Elbe River Promenade – and the small-scale in-between spaces allows to perceive the different dimensions of the Hafencity and establishes a new, pedestrian-related identity for the Elbbrücken Quarter.