The design submitted by David Chipperfield Architects Berlin was selected as the winning entry in a two-stage architectural competition for an office development. The panel of judges included representatives of Hansainvest Real Assets, the Hamburg Building Authority and Signal Iduna, the future anchor tenant. The practice’s submission won against twelve competing entries.
The complex integrates into the urban environment consistently and confidently. It adjoins a closed street block to the south and several free-standing buildings in different dimensions will form a permeable end to the block.
Bespoke structural frameworks have been designed and used for the buildings in response to their different spans, including solid-timber, timber-hybrid and reinforced-concrete structures. The serial arrangement of the façades replicates the structure of the buildings whilst developing its own proportional pattern through multi-storey orders and corner contractions.
Right from the start, all stakeholders have been pursuing the common aim of creating an appealing office campus with state-of-the-art buildings that provide the potential for flexible, and thus long-term, use. David Chipperfield Architects perfectly responded to these requirements, not least by submitting a compelling architectural design concept that blends elegance with a highly functional approach. This project will enhance the entire micro-site considerably and also attract other top-tier office tenants besides Signal Iduna.
Nicholas Brinckmann, Speaker of the Managing Board of Hansainvest Real AssetsA courtyard house welcomes users and visitors from the station. The complex opens up, with street-facing loggias and passageways into the block interior. The loggias mark the entrances and the orientation of the individual buildings. Different building heights, terraced paths and squares within the block development and generous planting lend a landscaped appearance to the campus. The outdoor areas include a listed fountain enclosed by the courtyard house.