3rd prize | Hamburg-Nord district office building development
Hamburg-Eppendorf
In collaboration with gmp Architekten
Urban development and monument preservation
The aim of this competition entry is to highlight and strengthen the potential of the listed building complex ‘Bezirksamt Hamburg-Nord’ (Hamburg-Nord District Office). The administrative building will be transformed into a liveable and sustainable neighbourhood: the Seitz Quarter will be created.
The listed buildings B-E, designed by architect Paul Seitz, will be preserved in their structural substance and carefully supplemented by three new buildings: a new tower as the highest point on the main road emphasises the start of Eppendorf with its long-distance effect. It will be located directly behind building section B1, replacing building section A, and will be connected to it by a covered hall, creating a large, contiguous inner courtyard to the east.
An extension to the former library rounds off the building block along the busy Lenhartzstraße. The street edge of the new building is set back slightly so that building E retains its presence. An extension to building C1 connects the quarter with the adjacent Marie-Jonas-Platz as a mediating building block. The original design idea is continued here, with the new building stepping down in height compared to the existing structure and creating a new frontage. In this way, all the new buildings blend harmoniously into the existing structure and the adjacent development, developing it further in a contemporary manner.
The existing buildings will be renovated in consultation with the monument protection authority and converted for new use in the interior. The façades will retain their protected appearance and will only be supplemented with balconies in the courtyard areas (buildings C and D). This will create an inner, private and landscaped courtyard as an oasis and identity-forming space for the residents of the Seitz Quarter, in contrast to the more public neighbourhood square on Marie-Jonas-Platz and the more urban square on Magistrale.
Development and use
The new buildings will enable an appropriate density of use and, as a result, greater economic efficiency for the project. Retail space is primarily located on the ground floor on the north side. Office space is located on the lower floors on the east side and at the highest point. The upper floors will contain apartments of various sizes, ranging from compact one-room apartments in the existing building to spacious townhouses in section D and maisonette apartments in section C.
Open space design
The transformation of the administrative building into a neighbourhood with commercial, office and residential units also changes the requirements for open space. Unused and inaccessible green spaces, purely functional entrance areas and parking spaces are making way for neighbourhood life and play areas. The inner courtyard is open to the public, but is primarily reserved for residents. New plantings in free, curved shapes complement the existing tree population, which is worthy of protection. The courtyard is accessed directly from the surrounding buildings. A private passageway connects the open spaces to each other.
Mobility concept
The demand for car parking spaces is determined based on empirical values, taking into account location-specific reduction factors. Residents and guests have access to two large bicycle garages, supplemented by decentralised parking areas in the outdoor areas. A mobility hub and two bicycle repair shops complete the mobility concept.
