The city of Hamburg has decided to build the Elbtower, designed by David Chipperfield Architects, set to become the tallest building in Hamburg.
Following a design by David Chipperfield Architects Berlin under the leadership of Design Director Christoph Felger, SIGNA Prime Selection AG will realise the new office and commercial tower directly adjacent to the Elbbrücke bridges over the coming years.
The project was presented to the public by Hamburg’s First Mayor Olaf Scholz on 8 February in the Kaisersaal of the Hamburg City Hall together with Senator Dr. Dorothee Stapelfeldt, Senior Construction Director Franz-Josef Höing, Prof. Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg, Chairman of the Board of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, client Timo Herzberg, CEO of SIGNA Prime Selection AG and the architects.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021 with completion set for 2025.
The design foresees a building of over 230 meters in height, which acts as a counterpoint to the Elbphilharmonie and an entrance marker on the eastern edge of the Hafencity.
Conceptually, these two roles shape the building, which rises from a public atrium as a tapering tower. The jury was convinced that the design has a “great iconographic power and at the same time embeds itself respectfully in Hamburg’s architectural culture and on the famous city skyline.”
David Chipperfield commented, ?We are delighted to have won the competition for the Elbtower project together with SIGNA and are happy to be invited to work in Hamburg again, especially on such an important site. As architects we are increasingly aware that the city depends on the quality of projects from the private sector to create a strong civic dimension that engages with the complexities of the city. We look forward to positively embracing this responsibility with the Elbtower project.??
Christoph Felger, Partner and Design Director, David Chipperfield Architects, Berlin, added, ?16 years ago, we also won an international competition for our first tower in Hamburg, the Empire Riverside Hotel and the building is celebrating its 10th anniversary next week. We feel honoured to build on this success and to have the opportunity to design a further landmark for the city of Hamburg and hope that, similar to the hotel, it will become a prominent public location for Hamburg.??
