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HAFENCIT Y HAMBURG

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I D E A S F O R C H I C AG O S Q UA R E –
DESIGN WORKSHOP HELD IN HAMBURG
HAFENCIT Y HAMBURG

I D E A S F O R C H I C AG O S Q UA R E –
DESIGN WORKSHOP HELD IN HAMBURG
04 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON
EDITORIAL
C
hicago has Lake Michigan and
the Chicago River; Hamburg
has the River Alster and the
River Elbe. Their waterfront location has al-
ways been a shaping, characteristic feature
of these two cities and is what has given
them their distinctive topography.
Moreover, Chicago and Hamburg are
both important supra-regional economic,
trade and cultural centres. Despite some
apparent differences, the cities have a lot
in common and they have been drawn even
closer together since being twinned with
one another in 1994.
One particularly noteworthy hallmark of
Chicago is its more than one hundred years
of experience in high-rise construction
and the design and structuring of living
and working environments in and among
tall buildings. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,
Ludwig Hilberseimer and Walter Gropius,
among others, established a long tradition
of German architectural influence in the
USA, especially Chicago. Continuing the ar-
chitectural exchange between the twin cit-
ies seems the natural thing to do. With this
in mind, five architects from Chicago were
invited to a design workshop in Hamburg
with the specific task of developing ideas
for Chicago Square, an ensemble of high-
Minister Dr. Michael Freytag
rise buildings forming the eastern entry to
HafenCity and the inner city.
HafenCity Hamburg – the biggest city-
centre redevelopment project in Europe
– is already well into a dynamic realisation
process.
The apartment buildings, squares and
promenades, with Überseequartier as the
centrepiece, and the cultural landmark of
the Elbe Philharmonic concert hall in the
western part of this new central district
are mostly either complete or under con-
struction, or in their planning and approval
stages. Now, attention is being turned to
developing solutions in terms of city plan-
ning and architecture for the eastern entry
to HafenCity in the vicinity of Baakenha-
fen harbour and the Elbe bridges.
Tall buildings situated there will not af-
fect Hamburg’s characteristic skyline,
which has traditionally been dominated
by the steeples of the five main churches
and by the Town Hall. Chicago Square can
add a high-rise dimension that has until
now been absent in Hamburg and create
new stimulus and appeal for domestic and
international real-estate occupants and
investors.
And top quality international architech-
ture can represent a prominent symbol for
Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg
05
Minister Dr. Michael Freytag,
Chairman of the Supervisory Board
of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH and
Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg,
Chief Executive Officer of HafenCity
Hamburg GmbH
CONTENTS
the links between the twin cities of Ham- THE FACE OF THE NEW CITY CENTRE 06
burg and Chicago.
Representatives of the architectural of- NEW ROOM FOR LIVING AT CHICAGO SQUARE 08
fices of Jeanne Gang, Helmut Jahn, Ronald
Krueck, Dirk Lohan and John Ronan made THE ARCHITECTS’ DESIGNS
numerous visits to Hamburg and, within an
intensive collective workshop environment, JEANNE GANG 14
acquainted themselves with the unique
qualities of Hamburg and HafenCity. HELMUT JAHN 18
Drawing on their considerable experience
in high-rise architecture, they produced a RONALD KRUECK 22
number of exciting and some truly spec-
tacular ideas for tall buildings and new wa- DIRK LOHAN 26
terfront urban spaces. Now the architects’
ideas need to be further developed. And, JOHN RONAN 30
of course, we also need to involve both
national and international investors and
real-estate users in an exchange of ideas;
we need to take advantage of the impetus
that has been created and we need to con-
tinue work on the Chicago Square project
as a whole, integrating it into the plans for
the coming years.
This brochure presents the designs and
conceptual sketches for Chicago Square in
summarised form. The intention is to stimu-
late further discussion. We hope that you
find it informative and inspiring reading.
06 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON
THE FACE OF THE
NEW CITY CENTRE
Now that the western section of HafenCity has been mostly planned and ap-
proved and partly completed, attention is being focused on the eastern areas of
this city centre expansion project, and particularly its eastmost point in the vicinity
of the Elbe bridges: the new Elbbrückenzentrum
H
afenCity will change the face
of waterfront Hamburg for-
ever. A new city centre district
is being created and taking its place, in the
broadest sense, along the waterfront of
the River Elbe. It will be measured against
the quality of the historic silhouette of
church steeples that has given Hamburg
its unmistakable character for centuries,
and has always been complemented with
sensitivity and care. This is the challenge
facing those involved in the design and
construction of HafenCity. Consequently,
the structure, size, and most importantly
height of the buildings will follow the pat-
tern of the existing city centre, integrating
the historic Speicherstadt warehouse en-
semble and forming a close, almost palpa-
E LB E P H I LHAR M O N IC
SAN DTO R K AI
5 Ü B E R S E E Q UARTI E R
DALMAN N K AI
STR AN D K AI
ble bond between land, buildings, and the
water. This characteristic feature will be
shared by the quarters of HafenCity, which
are being constructed among old harbour
basins and quays. In this way, Hamburg is
preserving the long tradition of close prox-
imity between buildings and water that
has always been one of the hallmarks of
the city.
At the same time, the compartmentalisa-
tion in terms of uses that was forced upon
the city by the establishment of the cus-
toms areas in the late nineteenth century
and by its rapid development as a business
city in the twentieth century are being
countered.
And the mix of uses currently coming
together in HafenCity is indeed rather un-
B R O O K TO R K AI
MAG D E B U R G E R HAF E N
SAN DTO R PAR K
G R AS B R O O K
1 S Q UAR E
S C I E N C E C E NTE R /
AQ UAR I U M
typical for present-day city centres. Apart-
ments, offices and commercial premises,
cultural and leisure facilites, retail and
diverse public open spaces will all be repre-
sented. As residential use never actually
completely disappeared from the city cen-
tre, there are facilites in the southern ar-
eas – retail outlets for daily requirements,
schools, kindergartens, etc. – which Hafen-
City can use as a foundation for its own in-
frastructure.
There are seven different quarters being
created in this new Hamburg city centre
district, each with its own typology: Sand-
torkai and Dalmannkai – between the har-
bours of Sandtorhafen and Grasbrookhafen
– will have a smaller-scale feel and a varied
mix of uses.
E R IC U S S P ITZ E
5
1 BA AK E N HAF E N
HAF E N C IT Y
U N IVE R S IT Y
1
BA AK E N H Ö F T
Apartments, offices, shops for daily re-
quirements, green spaces and appealing
six to eight storey blocks with a total gross
floor space of around 10,000 square me-
tres per building form a close-knit neigh-
bourhood enjoying immediate proximity
to the Elbe Philharmonic concert hall and
its cultural and gastronomic attractions.
Blocks at Grasbrook and Strandkai are be-
ing built to the same height as Sandtorkai
and Dalmannkai, punctuated by smaller
tower blocks up to 55 metres tall. In 2007
construction is scheduled to begin at the
Überseequartier district at Magdeburger
Hafen, which will later become part of
the new harbourside area of the city cen-
tre. With 30,000 to 40,000 square metres
gross floor space for the larger buildings,
the structures will be bigger than those in
the western and eastern areas of Hafen-
City. Prominent highlights designed by Erik
van Egeraat and others such as the Science
Center by Rem Koolhaas are notable here
partly due to their height but mostly be-
cause of their sculptural architecture.
Around 2011, the new Hamburg water-
front will be gaining a further distinct ar-
chitectural accent with the Science Center,
C H ICAG O
the new HafenCity University buildings and
the new construction at Baakenhöft, which
under certain circumstances could be sig-
nificant in the case of an Olympic applica-
tion. By then the Elbe Philharmonic concert
hall, due to be completed in 2009, will al-
ready be a part of the Hamburg skyline and
provide a bold prelude to the new district
from the west. With the Ericusspitze, pres-
ently subject to an architectural competi-
tion, the Kaiserhöft (with the Elbe Philhar-
monic concert hall) and the construction at
Magdeburger Hafen the western quarters
represent a prominent and distinctive con-
tour in the Hamburg cityscape. This section
of HafenCity has been almost completely
planned and approved, a number of sec-
tions are under construction and parts
have already been completed. The eastern
side of Magdeburger Hafen, HafenCity
University, Lohsepark and the new under-
ground railway line form the foundations
for the eastward progression of this city
centre expansion project.
Even though the construction work in these
areas is not due to be finished until 2025, it is
necessary to move the city planning process
forward now with detailed consideration of
07
how the structure will look around the har-
bour basin at Baakenhafen, particularly at
the eastern end. This will be the location of
Chicago Square. The HafenCity Masterplan
devised in 2000 envisages an eastern land-
mark in the form of a group of exceptionally
tall buildings. They will act as a counterpoint
to the Elbe Philharmonic concert hall, create
visual cohesion for the entire new district
and complete a sweeping, coherent contour
from the city’s striking new landmark to
the west and prominent Ericusspitze to the
north-east. At the same time, they will form
the end point of HafenCity and the prelude
to the northern bank of the Elbe.
Chicago Square will be situated well away
from the famous Hamburg silhouette.
Rather than spoil the existing skyline, the
new tall buidings will complement it. And
that is also a tradition of Hamburg. The first
tall buildings in the present-day mercantile
district of the city centre were primarily
horizontal and not vertical, even though
a considerable (for the 1920s) height of
more than 25 metres was reached. Never-
theless, Fritz Höger’s Chilehaus still man-
aged to achieve worldwide fame with its
distinctive eastern facade. And in the six-
ties, relief planning for the development of
central Hamburg (in the City Nord district)
prevented the density of tall buildings in
the city centre from becoming excessively
high. Tower blocks such as Unileverhaus
and the Hamburg Police Headquarters
(1961–1963 and 1958–1960 respectively) re-
main exceptions, and were built after care-
ful consideration on sites where they would
be compatible with the Hamburg skyline.
But the area near the Elbe bridges has a
further role besides complementing the
Hamburg skyline. This is where train and
road traffic crosses the River Elbe on its way
to the heart of the city making this area
effectively the eastern gateway to central
Hamburg.
These alone are good enough reasons
to use tall buildings to make an imposing
mark here. The Hamburg skyline, especially
the distant view upstream along the Elbe
from the west and from the south, would
make substantial gains in structure and
contour. But we all know that architecture
is not just sculpture and is not there simply
to look good.
Tall buildings not only create new views
and lankmarks, they also create new out-
looks, opportunities and room for living.
08 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON
NEW ROOM FOR
LIVING AT
CHICAGO SQUARE
This new section of HafenCity will have an impor-
tant influence on the look and feel of Hamburg as a
whole. Planners are working with care and sensitiv-
ity on the precise form of the new skyline
S
o far, living and working in tall
tower blocks is generally not
very common in Europe, Ham-
burg included. Although there are entire
quarters in cities such as London or Paris,
these still represent the exception rather
than the rule. The most famous of these is
probably La Défense in Paris.
Its renown owes a great deal to the promi-
nence of its location on “La Périphérie”
on an axis with the Louvre, the Champs-
Élysées and the great Arc de Triomphe at
Place Charles de Gaulle.
Five architects from Chicago, Jeanne
Gang of Studio Gang Architects, Helmut
Jahn from the office of Murphy/Jahn, Ro-
nald Krueck of Krueck & Sexton Architects,
Dirk Lohan of Lohan Anderson and John
Ronan took part in a design workshop dur-
ing 2005 and 2006 in Hamburg. Their remit
was to consider options for possible high-
rise architecture and living environments
at the eastern end of Hamburg’s HafenCity.
In accordance with the Masterplan, the eastern gateway to HafenCity will have a prominent architectural ensemble in the Elbe bridges area
The top end of Baakenhafen harbour and the focal point envisaged in the Masterplan for the vicinity of the Elbe bridges were the areas in focus at the design workshop Architects Ronald Krueck, John Ronan, Jeanne Gang, Helmut Jahn and Dirk Lohan (from left) in debate with
Minister Dr. Michael Freytag (third from right) and Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg (right), CEO HafenCity Hamburg GmbH
09
They were seeking a tailor-made solution
for Hamburg that would be consistent with
the special local interrelationship between
land and water as well as the European
high-rise character and tradition. At the
same time, the idea was to draw on experi-
ence gained by the architects in America, or,
more precisely, in Chicago and to feed this
into the equation.
TALL BUILDINGS IN
EUROPE AND THE USA
The significance of tall buildings and
high-rise districts was always the decisive
factor in the discussions that took place
in Europe throughout the twentieth cen-
tury. The question was whether or not to
follow a similar path as the mostly eco-
nomically motivated one that America
had taken in Chicago and New York.
Fascinated by the possibilities offered
by steel construction and elevator tech-
10 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON
nology, yet at the same time horrified
by the lack of cohesive city planning and
especially by the road traffic density in
American cities, modern architects such
as Ludwig Hilberseimer and Erich Men-
delsohn returned to Germany from their
travels in the 1920s and argued strongly
for landmark high-rise construction. The
designs submitted by Ludwig Mies van
der Rohe in 1921 to the first German ar-
chitectural competition for a tall building
at Friedrichstrasse in Berlin were ground-
breaking, as was a 1922 study on high-rise
buildings, where he experimented with
On 1st March 2006, architects Jeanne Gang, Helmut Jahn, Ronald Krueck, Dirk Lohan, and John Ronan discussed their submissions with one another. Then, at a press conference
and Hamburg’s chief planner, Prof. Jörn Walter and were then discussed during the “HafenCity Dialog” event
a façade made entirely of glass and with
steel as a construction medium. His de-
signs and those of his colleagues were
never realised. But the idea of modern
tall buildings continued to germinate.
In 1922, the competition for the design
of the Chicago Tribune office building
was internationally regarded as espe-
cially important. All renowned German
and European architects from Walter
Gropius and Adolf Loos to Eliel Saarinen
participated and delivered a number of
very well-received modern variations
on the tall building concept to the USA.
The winning design, however, erred to-
ward the historistic style which strongly
characterised American architecture at
the time, despite the efforts of architects
such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan
and the “Chicago School”. In fact, Chicago
was the very birthplace of the tall build-
ing concept. The first building that could
be called a skyscraper was created by Wil-
liam Le Baron Jenney in Chicago in 1885,
the Home Life Insurance Building. He, too,
strongly favoured the historistic style.
The modernistic style did not begin to
get a foothold in the USA until the late
1930s due to the influence of the German
immigrants Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,
Ludwig Hilberseimer and Walter Gropius,
who worked both as architects and uni-
versity lecturers.
It is, however, still not possible to speak of
strategy and overall direction in American
cities. As ever, it is market forces that dic-
tate the density of the city centres and the
height of the buildings rather than a set of
city planning rules. Life in and among very
tall building (be it working or residential)
has been a fascinating reality in these cit-
ies for more than a century. This has been
reflected in countless fictional stories and
visions of the future, in novels and cine-
The Chicago Tribune Tower, completed in 1925.
Built according to a design by Raymond Hood and
John Mead Howells, who won the competition or-
ganised in 1922 by the newspaper of the same name,
the “most beautiful and eye-catching building in
the world” was to be a proclamation of the paper’s
power and prestige. The award went to these archi-
tects’ historistic neo-gothic design rather than the
rationalist-modernist architecture of the European
participants, including Walter Gropius, Eliel Saarinen
and Adolf Loos. Their time was yet to come
their designs were at first presented to the public by Minister Dr. Michael Freytag, HafenCity CEO Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg,
As early as 1922, Mies van der Rohe had achieved
a high degree of recognition with his glass sky-
scraper study
In 1885, the architect William Le Baron Jenney’s 55-
metre, ten-storey “Home Life Insurance Building” in
Chicago was the first skyscraper in the world
matic imagery. The influence of the “Silver
Princes” – as the immigrant generation of
European architects were disrespectfully
described by the American architecture
critic Tom Wolfe – can still be felt strongly
today. Architects such as Helmut Jahn and
Dirk Lohan are continuing in their tradi-
tion, which for Lohan as grandson of Mies
van der Rohe is also underpinned by a fam-
ily relationship.
And the work of the subsequent, young-
er generation of architects – of which
firms such as Studio Gang, Krueck & Sex-
ton Architects and John Ronan Architect
are representative – still honours the
legacy. These architects all live in urban
environments that in terms of the den-
sity and presence of tall buildings are sig-
nificantly different from European cities.
For them, there is more than just a street
level and a rooftop level, there is also a
whole world at the mid-level, which could
easily be at a height of sixty or seventy
metres. And even at this height, it is just
as important to think in terms of design-
ing urban spaces.
The heritage of the German “Silver Princes” can still be strongly felt in present-day Chicago
11
THE DESIGN WORKSHOP IN
HAMBURG
According to our perception, the differ-
ences between America and Europe have
become substantially less pronounced
since the 1920s. Cultural differences
have blurred. Hamburg and Chicago
have been twin cities since 1994. They
are both situated at waterfront loca-
tions and, without disacknowledging
the self-evident differences, there are a
number of other common characteristics
that bond the two.
But a special feature of the city on Lake
Michigan remains its more than one hun-
dred years of experience in the construc-
tion of tall buildings and in establishing
a way of life in urban and open spaces
shaped by skyscrapers.
This means that an intensive exchange
of building culture could indeed prove
very fruitful; with the design workshop
for Chicago Square, an initial step in this
direction has been taken. It is intended
12 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON
that Hamburg architects reciprocate
with a similar visit to Chicago.
The American guests accepted the re-
mit to consider possibilities for a high-
rise complex between the top end of the
harbour at Baakenhafen and the Elbe
bridges, as foreseen in the HafenCity
Masterplan.
The first stage was to decide on the ba-
Tall buildings are not only a form of expression,…
The architects bring the benefit of Chicago’s extensive experience in high-rise construction and of living in and among tall buildings to the discussion about Chicago Square in
13
sic structure of the buildings, their uses, stop at Elbbrückenzentrum. Additionally, This means that there will be a ten metre tidal range and the different water levels pear alien to their surroundings, and build-
the open space design and the integra- the River Elbe itself offers a wide range wide promenade directly next to the Riv- at high and low tide. ings of medium height and lower struc-
tion of road and rail. In October 2005, of possibilities for water-based forms of er Elbe which can be integrated into the The architects devised solutions with tall tures will be used to create transitions.
the results were presented and dis- transportation. Elbe walking route. It will link the eastern and in some cases very tall buildings that The five works represent initial ideas and
cussed in Hamburg. The architects then At Eastern Baakenhafen and Elbbrü- tip of the area to Entenwerderpark via a would be certain to become important are the basis for discussion about the fur-
returned with their work to their offices ckenzentrum, as throughout HafenCity, bridge. In order to make the bond with landmarks. But they also produced designs ther urban development of eastern Haf-
in Chicago and presented their ideas to a great deal of importance is attached to the water not just visual, but something for new urban spaces with some unfamil- enCity and the Baakenhafen harbourside
the public in March 2006. the planning of open spaces and the bond more palpable, a marina is planned for iar qualities and perspectives for Hamburg area. A closer look has been taken at the
with the water. Flood protection here (as the eastern end of the Baakenhafen har- and went to great lengths to weave their individual ideas, which are presented in
THE TASK in the entire HafenCity development) will bour, with a lifting bridge to the west. At new additions into the established fabric the following material. It is important to
use ground elevation, and the quay walls the top end of the harbour, a square is of the city. The tall buildings are not meant bear in mind that these contributions are
The Masterplan for HafenCity, approved will be kept free of new construction. envisaged that will play on the theme of to stand out in a way that makes them ap- outline sketches and not finished plans.
in 2000 by the Hamburg Senate, envis-
ages an architectural focal point at the
eastern end of the new district, punctu-
ated by a number of tall buildings. The
area that was to be the subject to the
planning/architectural study comprised
the quarters defined in the HafenCity
Masterplan as “Eastern Baakenhafen”,
“Elbbrückenzentrum West” and “Elb-
brückenzentrum East”.
Whereas the Elbrückenzentrum area,
divided by the western Elbe bridges, was
intended for services and high-rise tow-
ers, the buildings at Eastern Baakenhafen
would be for mixed use as apartments,
offices, shops, and restaurants. As such,
this quarter will act as a transition be-
tween the mainly residential section
of Baakenhafen and the offices at Elb-
brückenzentrum, and also between two
very different building densities. With
300,000 square metres of gross floor
space for offices, approximately 70,000
square metres for residential use, a hotel
and 4,000 square metres of retail space, it
will be considerably denser than the rest
of Baakenhafen. The particularly good
road and rail communications available
here mean that this makes good sense.
Railroads run across the western Elbe
bridges here and on toward the east and
south. The eastern Elbe bridges carry the
link road to the autobahn and the urban
railway line, for which there will be a new …they also create new outlooks, opportunities and room for living, working, and for hotel guests. Interesting challenges lie ahead for the Elbbrückenzentrum at the future Chicago Square
HafenCity and seek a solution tailored to Hamburg
14 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 15

J THE DESIGN BY
eanne Gang proposes to build a strik-
ing skyscraper, around 250 metres
tall, flanked by two smaller buildings
of around half that height to provide space
for living and working. Directly in the vicin-
JEANNE GANG
ity of the Elbe bridges, they create – almost
A striking 250-metre skyscraper flanked by
literally – a gateway to central Hamburg.
two smaller buildings around half as tall
The open support structures with over-
forms a gateway to central Hamburg at the
tones of constructivist architecture create
head of the Elbe bridges
an association with the nearby cranes and
bridges, the characteristic visual forms of
the Hamburg port. The thirtieth storey is a
transfer level for changing elevators where
the views of the city can be enjoyed, and
which could possibly be opened to the pub-
lic. The building height at Chicago Square is
significantly lower at between six and eight
storeys. Here, only the occasional structure
will rise significantly higher.
An interesting and noteworthy feature
of this design is the broad artificial plateau
starting at the top end of the harbour at
Baakenhafen and spanning the railway,
effectively quelling a noise source, before
reaching ground level once again at the
foot of the tallest building.
A strip of green directly adjacent to the
river and running under the Elbe bridges
creates a long cohesive green space in this
otherwise densely built-up quarter. Jeanne
Gang also envisages green spaces in the
form of floating gardens in the basin of
Baakenhafen harbour, tracing the move-
ment of the tides. On the Elbe riverside,
16 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 17

apart from the promenade, there is a ma-

rina for pleasure craft and a sandy beach.
The most outstanding feature of her de- ABOUT JEANNE GANG:
sign is without doubt the approximately Jeanne Gang belongs to the younger generation of Chicago architects.
250 metres high tower. But a further dis- She graduated from the University of Illinois (Urbana/Champaign) in
tinguishing detail is the ample amount of 1986 and continued with urban design studies at the ETH Zürich. She
green space that results from the high-rise worked at the offices of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and was
construction – the tall buildings are kept responsible for designs for “Lille Grand Palais” and “Bordeaux House”.
well spaced to ensure good exposure to Her firm, Studio Gang, has successfully participated in competitions
daylight, so as not to obscure the wide- and is currently working on the Ford Calumet Environmental Center
ranging views and to avoid creating nar- in Chicago, due to be completed in 2008, and on an eighty-storey re-
row concrete canyons such as those in sidential building in the city centre. In 2004, she represented the USA
Chicago. at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice.

A strip of green directly adjacent to the river

and running under the Elbe bridges creates a
long cohesive green space – well integrated into
Hamburg’s system of recreational spaces – in
this otherwise densely built quarter

Studio Gang Architects: the Ford Calumet Environmental Center in Chicago

Jeanne Gang also envisages green spaces in the form of floating gardens in the basin
of Baakenhafen harbour, tracing the movement of the tides

The open support structures with overtones of constructivist

architecture create an association with the nearby cranes and
Bildunterschrift enCity. Es bietet einen neuen Schwerpunkt in der Innenstadt und of the Hamburg port
bridges

An interesting and noteworthy feature of this design is the broad artificial plateau starting at
the top end of the harbour at Baakenhafen and spanning the railway, effectively quelling a noise
source, before reaching ground level once again at the foot of the tallest building
18 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 19

The three towers are linked by a bridge that pro-

A 350-metre pyramid is positioned directly at the end
vides space for cultural uses. The angle of this axis
of the Baakenhafen harbour. Between the bridges are
results in the glass pyramid being positioned so
somewhat lower, rectangular twin towers with media
that two of its sides face across the water
facades displaying Hamburg-related imagery rather than
advertising. And at the eastmost point, there is a slender
sail shaped tower almost as tall as the pyramid

H
elmut Jahn envisages three
striking tall buildings of
symbolic form in a row from
Chicago Square to the eastern tip of the
development. He also incorporates the
areas behind the Elbe bridges into his
plans and connects the three buildings
with a bridge that straddles the rail and
roadways. It is intended mainly for cul-
tural uses and public facilities. He has
placed a 350-metre pyramid directly at
the end of the Baakenhafen harbour. Be-
tween the bridges, he envisages some-
what lower, rectangular twin towers
with media facades displaying Hamburg-
related imagery rather than advertising.
And at the eastmost point, his vision
sees a slender sail shaped tower almost
as tall as the pyramid. A spacious park
landscape fans out from the foot of the
towers and even extends under the Elbe
bridges. A footbridge continues the in-
ternational Elbe walking route off the
area of investigation toward the east A spacious park landscape fans out from the foot of the towers and even extends under the Elbe
and level with the harbour at Baaken- bridges. A footbridge continues the international Elbe walking route off the area of investigation
hafen the green space merges into a gen- toward the east. A rich intermingled mix of uses is envisaged, as shown in the graphic below
erous promenade plus a marina and ferry
port.

THE DESIGN BY
HELMUT JAHN
The design gives a lot of attention to the effect of the new buildings on the future
skyline of Hamburg, which without doubt would be significantly augmented by
this proposal
 Jahn has given much thought and care to bridging the rail and
20 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 21
roadway, the result is a both horizontally and vertically
variegated structure

The buildings around the end of Baakenhafen harbour are considerably less tall, but the small-
est is still 35 metres and that still counts as high-rise in Germany. The two rows of buildings – with
their square and rectangular ground plans – frame the harbour basin. Two buildings cantilever-
ing out over the water complete this ensemble, establishing a visual border for the area at the
end of the harbour basin, which is also spanned by a bridge at this point. Jahn gives a great deal
of importance to the effect of his buildings on the Hamburg skyline, which without doubt would
be significantly augmented by this proposal.

The towers and their connecting bridgeway are a central feature of the Jahn design; their effect is further emphasised by the comparatively
low buildings at Baakenhafen. The design is accompanied by careful planning for the lower levels, as can be seen from the sketches

ABOUT HELMUT JAHN:

Helmut Jahn was born in 1940 in Germany and initially studied architecture at Munich Technical University until 1965
before continuing in 1966 and 1967 at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), which, largely as a result of the teachings
of Mies van der Rohe, had by that time become legendary. Today he is president of Murphy/Jahn Architects. Through this
firm he has helped shape the face of present-day Chicago, especially the city centre, and has carried forward the modern
tradition of technologically influenced architecture. Helmut Jahn is also well known in his native Germany with works to
be found in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Bonn and elsewhere.

The Ha-Lo Corporate Headquarters, the Shanghai International Expo Centre, the Sony Centre and Kranzler Eck in Berlin
demonstrate Helmut Jahn’s leaning toward the striking use of glass in his architecture
22 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 23

…This opens up new possibilities for spatial design and, in more than
one sense, raises them to a new level

Tall buildings fan out toward the Elbe, the railway embankment and toward the east, creating
opening and tapering spaces…

THE DESIGN BY
RONALD KRUECK
R
onald Krueck proposes cons-
tructing lower to medium-
height high-rise buildings in
The design draws upon the dynamics of the spaces
the area, with the height of each indi-
between the buildings, which, although quite tall, gen-
vidual structure being determined by its
erate a distinctly horizontal effect. Their cantilevered
purpose. Commercial premises and retail
upper floors make them reminiscent of port cranes
establishments will be housed in build-
ings with a maximum height of 25 me-
tres, with apartment blocks and hotels
at around 80 metres and offices at 160
metres. Additionally, he plans publicly
accessible meeting points with cafés and
restaurants in glass edifices at around
189 metres. This design is not only strik-
ing due to the height of its buildings,
but also its shape. The cantilevered up-
per floors are reminiscent of port cranes.
The buildings are either angled toward
each other or away from one another
in a way that both opens and closes
spaces within the quarter. Krueck suc-
ceeds in creating a series of distinctive
spatial experiences, even at 100, 150 and
190 metres. Two cantilevered structures
projecting out across the water together
with a footbridge over the harbour ba-
sin separate its eastern section, which
is flanked on both sides by elongated
buildings. These are splayed slightly and
have the effect of widening this space,
then the positioning of the tall tower-like
buildings at Chicago Square bring it ta-
pering to a close.
The tall buildings then fan out toward the
Elbe, the railway embankment and toward
the east, giving the area a high-rise yet pre-
24 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON
dominantly horizontal architectural pres-
ence. This is particularly noticable at the
gateway to central Hamburg that Krueck
has created in the vicinity of the western
Elbe bridge, where long distance trains
arrive in the city. Here, the geometric ef-
fect generated by the buildings situated at
the eastmost section of the development
is particularly impressive. Trains then con-
25
At different heights,
whether 100, 150 or 190
metres, Krueck creates
distinctive spatial
structures
His design emphasizes the
dynamics of the spaces between
the buildings instead of concen-
trating on their height alone
Two cantilevered structures
projecting out across the water
ABOUT RONALD
together with a footbridge over
KRUECK:
the harbour basin separate its
Ronald Krueck studied until 1970 at
eastern section, which is flanked
what is arguably the most renowned
on both sides by elongated build-
educational centre for architects
ings. These are splayed slightly
in Chicago, the Illinois Institute of
and have the effect of widening
Technology (IIT). The legacy of Mies
this space, then the positioning
van der Rohe is particularly close to
of the tall tower-like buildings at
Krueck’s heart. He is not just a mem-
Chicago Square bring it tapering
ber of Friends of the Farnsworth
to a close
House, last year his firm – which he
Ronald Krueck Partner Mark P. Sexton presents the designs in Hamburg
heads together with Mark P. Sexton
– restored Mies van der Rohe’s world
famous Crown Hall in Chicago. This
work is a form of avowal to the roots
of their own architecture, which
tinue under the bridge that connects the
stands out for its marked technologi-
western and eastern sections of the area.
cal approach, exploiting the qualities
In summary, Krueck’s proposal sets out to
of glass and steel.
derive less from the height of his buildings
and more from the dynamics of the exterior
spaces between them.
The restoration of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s famous Crown Hall is a form of avowal to the roots of
Krueck & Sexton’s own architecture
 Two crescent-shaped hotels of around 42 metres in height flank the
26 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 27
circular square to the west and east. And two office buildings at 215
and 160 metres provide vertical accents

A circular square, a long bridgeway and two crescent-shaped hotels

form a new gateway to central Hamburg

THE DESIGN BY
DIRK LOHAN
Elegant and expressive high-rise groups, carefully considered stepping
of their height and a circular and slightly offset Chicago Square above the
railway tracks are the distinguishing features of this design

D
irk Lohan positions the cen-
tre of Chicago Square directly
above the railway tracks
emanating from the western Elbe bridges.
These, and the associated noise, are cov-
ered by the circular square and elongated
bridgeway. Two crescent-shaped build-
ings flank the new square to the west and
east. And two office buildings at 215 and
160 metres provide vertical accents. This
ensemble forms the nucleus of his design.
Blocks of intermediate elevation make
the transition to the quarter around the
harbour basin at Baakenhafen, where
the buildings are at the normal height for
Hamburg. This layout creates a readily dis-
Clear grouping of tall buildings
cernable gateway to the centre of the city
around the circular Chicago Square
and the lower buildings at Baaken-
hafen gives the ensemble a strongly
contoured appearance particularly
when viewed from the west
from the south. The stepped height and tinued as set out in the HafenCity Master-
the positioning of the buildings result in plan, and, as such, also serves to underline
an intriguing composition that not only this silhouette. The elliptical ground plan
have a significant effect from a distance, of the two tallest skyscrapers underlines
but also offer an elegant structure for the importance of the area at the intersec-
urban spaces with a comfortable, smaller- tion of the main axis of HafenCity, with
scale feel. Clear grouping of tall buildings its east-west orientation, and the rail and
around the circular square and the low roadways plus the intended “Leap across
buildings at Baakenhafen gives the en- the Elbe” development, with their north-
semble a strongly contoured appearance south orientation.
particularly when viewed from the west.
The surface that gently slopes upward
toward the east, left free by the sky-
scraper due to its asymmetric position-
ing, creates a transition between the two
sections. The relatively low building style
alongside the harbour basin can be con-
28 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 29

ABOUT DIRK LOHAN:

Dirk Lohan was born in Germany and studied architecture at the Il-
linois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago and at Munich Technical
University. His grandfather, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, passed on his
passion for architecture to Lohan and arranged a stay for him in the
USA. He finished his studies in architecture and city planning in 1962,
graduating at Munich. After having returned to the USA, he realised a
number of works with his grandfather including the National Gallery
in Berlin, the IBM office building in Chicago and the Toronto Dominion
Centre. Together with Floyd D. Anderson, Dirk Lohan went on to found
the architectural firm of Lohan Anderson, which became highly success-
ful and remains so to this day. Continuing the 1950s and 60s tradition
of modern architecture is a central facet of the firm’s work, with Lohan
going to considerable lengths to include a human touch through struc-
tural diversity in his designs.

The design underlines the importance of the

area at the intersection of the main axis of
HafenCity, with its east-west orientation, and
the rail and roadway running from north to
south…

The 2111 West Roosevelt Road Office Complex (2006) in Chicago – a recent Lohan Anderson project

…It gives further impetus to the “Leap across

the Elbe” city development project intended
for the future.
30 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 31

W
ith skillful positioning of
the buildings, at heights
varying from 9 to 180 me-
tres, John Rohan has successfully created
urban spaces ranging from comfortable
and small-scale to expansive ensembles.
The effect when viewed from a distance
is more due to the positioning and shape
of the buildings rather than their height.
The group of five skyscrapers at the quay-
side of Oberhafen harbour is particularly
eye-catching. It has been positioned in
order to be the main focal point of Chica-
go Square from the south as well as from
the west. These buildings are situated at
some distance from the end of the Baa-
kenhafen harbour basin, and, as such,
appear to retreat into the background
when viewed from there. A drawn out
expanse of green that also continues
through under the rail and roadways
links these buildings with those around
the harbour basin. Toward the south, an
elongated bridgeway over the Elbe bridg-
es connects with this green area and ties
in with a long and low structure at the
main section of this phase of the devel-
opment. These horizontally orientated
buildings are situated further west and
merge with promenade-type elements
on the north bank of the River Elbe,
where stepped quays and a marina are

THE DESIGN BY
JOHN RONAN Generous boulevards are envisaged alongside the
harbour basin, the framework of which creates a
Through generous use of space, Ronan not only creates a dramatic variegated architectural structure. Ronan utilises
view from the distance but also a background of exhilarating dimension open space and horizontal aspect ratio of buildings
in this cosmopolitan setting to accentuate the effect generated by the towers,
without them becoming obtrusive
32 HAFENCITY FOCUS ON 33

ABOUT JOHN RONAN:

John Ronan belongs to the younger genera-
tion of Chicago architects. His firm has been
in existence since 1997 and has experience
in a broad spectrum of architectural work,
including private homes, schools and large
public buildings. Ronan previously worked
for Krueck & Sexton Architects, Tigerman
McCurry Architects and Lohan Associates,
among others. He completed his architectur-
al studies at the Harvard University School of
Design in 1991, and is currently Assistant Pro-
fessor at the Illinois Institute of Technology
(IIT) College of Architecture in Chicago.

The five-tower complex is situated at some distance from the end

of Baakenhafen harbour, and appears to retreat into the background
when viewed from there. An expanse of green that also continues
through under the rail and roadways links these buildings with
those around the harbour basin

provided. The predominant building

The group of five skyscrapers at Oberhafen harbour is
particularly striking. It constitutes the main focal point of
Chicago Square from the south and the west
Design for the Old Post Office in Chicago
The building height at Baakenhafen is comparatively low. Occasional tow-
ers contribute to the feeling of space and openness
height at Baakenhafen harbour is also
relavtively low. Here, too, steps form the
promenades and low aspect ratio con-
struction at the Baakenhafen quayside
produces a comfortable, smaller-scale
urban environment. A number of well-
spaced towers punctuate the six- to ten-
storey roofline, which contributes to the
feel of space and openness. This impres-
sion can also be strongly felt when view-
ing the area from a distance and from
the upper floors of the high-rise build-
ings. Spaces such as these create a back-
ground of exhilarating dimension in this
cosmopolitan setting.
IMPRINT
Editor: HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, Brooktor 11, D-20457 Hamburg
V.i.S.d.P.: Susanne Bühler
Text: Olaf Bartels
Translation: Torsten Jess
Design: lab3 mediendesign
1. Edition, Hamburg, October 2006; © 2006 All rights reserved

IMAGES BY
Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn (www.moma.org); Bilderberg; The Chicago Historical Society, Chicago,
Illinois; Engelhardt / Sellin; Gisela Flotow; Fotofrizz; Christian Gahl; Christoph Gebler; Christoph Klamp, Behörde für Stadtentwicklung
und Umwelt; Krueck & Sexton Architects; Lohan Anderson Architects; Mauritius Images; Murphy Jahn Architects; John Ronan Archi-
tect; Boris Rostami; Andreas Schiebel / Michael Korol; Doug Snower; Studio Gang Architects

The information contained in this brochure is destined for the general public; there is no claim to the completeness
and accuracy of statement. It must not be used for the risk evaluation of investment or other business decisions
relating to the HafenCity project or to parts thereof.
W W W . H A F E N C I T Y. I N F O

HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, Brooktor 11, D-20457 Hamburg

Phone: +49 - 40 - 37 47 26 - 0, Fax: +49 - 40 - 37 47 26 - 26
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