In historical context
New construction of a residential and shipping company building in the harbor area of Hamburg-Altona. The building is located against a slope of the Geest, in the area of a historic staircase and wall. It offers 25 residential units from 60 to 120 sqm as well as flexible and spacious areas for the shipping company on the upper floors with a wide view over the harbor facilities and the river Elbe.
View over the oceans
The shipping company Johs. Thode has been present on the world’s oceans as a shipbroker and shipping company for generations. Consequently, the ancestral seat of the family business, within sight of Hamburg’s wooden harbor and in the immediate vicinity of the Koehlbrand staircase, has an essential significance in the form of an adequate and contemporary structural presence: a window on the world. The design is consequently based on thinking about tradition, reliability and solidity in combination with innovation, modernity and cosmopolitanism.
Modern attitude at the harbor
The self-confident handling of the urban development options of the site seems just as obvious as the embodiment of a traditional company with modern but timeless means as well as clear formal language, using traditional materials such as masonry, steel and wood. The goal is to realize a building that, on the one hand, takes into account the special urban situation and the history of the site and, on the other hand, has an identity that meets the client’s demands for sustainable quality, functionality and economic efficiency.
Project details
Client
Johs. Thode shipping company
Location
Hamburg Altona
Building volume
4,400 sqm GFA
Status
Expert opinion 2012
Architect
Patrik Dierks, Norbert Sachs
Pictures
Davide Abbonacci
