Revitalisation of the inland port in Hamburg-Harburg

Interview with Kerstin Zillmann

Kerstin Zillmann is a graduate engineer for urban development and urban planning. In addition to her independent occupation in policy advice and planning practice, she has taught for approximately ten years at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg and has conducted international urban research, inter alia on the revitalisation of harbour zones as well as river bank and shore zones, before she joined the Building Office of Harburg in 2008. As the director of the urban development coordination of the inland harbour of Harburg in the District Office of Hamburg-Harburg, Kerstin Zillmann is directly involved in the further development of this urban district today. 

What was the motivation for starting the project?

The project bears great potentials for the transformation of the former harbour area into a new urban district near the water. What makes the inland harbour of Harburg, which is independent from the tides, so attractive among real fans is the still existing flair of the harbour – characterised by the functioning harbour enterprises and a colourful mixture of all types of boats and ships. From the sports boat to the house-boat, from two-masters to motor boats and, on special occasions, also harbour ferries, everything is found on the water. Only on the old harbour channels, which reach far into the area, shipping is no longer possible today. They will only be used if the future users of the new dwellings and office buildings along the Eastern and Western Railway Station Channel as well as along the Department Store Channel put their canoes and their rowing boats on the water there.

How was the situation before initiating this project?

The inland harbour of Harburg stretches north of the inner city of Harburg and is separated from it by highly frequented transportation routes and railway lines- even though the settlement core of Harburg is to be found on the Castle Island of Harburg and the Castle Street of Harburg. With archaeological excavations and the vaulted cellar under a wing of the former castle, the Helms Museum shows that the area has already been settled in the 16th century, a special feature for Hamburg and even more so for the urban development in the harbour area. Today historic industrial and warehouse buildings still belong to the flair of the harbour.

During the implementation of the project, were there any obstacles? If so, can you name an example? Also the other way around, were there any positive developments, perhaps a spin-off?

Some areas of the Castle Island of Harburg and of the Castle Street in Harburg are designated as protection areas for archaeological excavations, which is, however, no obstacle according to the building owners, civil engineers, open-space planners and archaeologists for the activities taking place on the building sites parallel to this. The planting in the park which is to be newly created can take consideration of the underground treasures. A newly discovered, historic wooden water pipe, which transported the water from the “Harburg Hills” to the castle, can remain untouched by the floodgate and road construction measures with some planning adaptations.

The strongly frequented transportation routes and the supra-local heavy goods traffic constitute particular impairments for the present and future residents through their noise and vibrations. A new management of the traffic is in preparation – but it will not be able to relieve everybody.

New bridges could help to recreate the old links between the inner city and the inland harbour and to improve the accessibility of the inner city. In the presentation year of the International Building Exhibition 2013 a new pedestrian bridge – then the only turning bridge in Hamburg – will be opened in the inland harbour. The approximately 10.000 visitors of the annual inland harbour festivities will then be able to stroll directly across the Pilot Channel to the new Castle Island, to the new residential buildings and into the public park.

Has the main objective of the project been achieved? If not, why and what is the outcome of the project so far?

Meanwhile, services such as solicitor’s offices, branch banks and a medical centre are locating in the area of the inland harbour in addition to IT-services, scientific services and gastronomy. The association “channel hamburg e.V.” looks after a large part of the 150 firms and enterprises with a total of approximately 5000 employees.

It has been possible to maintain a large part of the historic industrial and warehouse buildings and to put them to partly modern uses. The successful connection of old buildings under building conservation and of innovative new buildings still is an important subject of development. Thus a restaurant, a day nursery, offices and a multi-storey car park were accommodated in a house next to the town canal. A historical liqueur factory is connected with the new construction of the innovation campus of the technology enterprise of the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg. A so-called wind tower, which is used as a hotel, will be integrated into a factory plant which is well-known far beyond Hamburg and which is characterising the environment of the area, the former New York-Hamburg rubber goods company. In such new building projects a facade competition is carried out by the investors, so that the decision for an appropriate design of the frequently very high buildings (65 metres), which is in keeping with the times, is made by a jury consisting of experts and participating municipal politicians.

The International Building Exhibition Hamburg promotes the development of residential neighbourhoods in the inland harbour of Harburg, which have to meet demands for high quality. With the project “Housing along the Department Store Channel”, which is based on a draft of the architects BIG from Copenhagen, and the housing projects “Marina on the Castle Island” as well as “Neighbourhood at the Park”, which are currently being built or prepared for building, a total of 500 housing units will be developed. With this project, different target groups from young families to the generation 50 plus are addressed.

Which aspects have made the project successful? What will happen after the conclusion of the project?

In Harburg, the new urban quarter Harburg Inland Harbour is being developed jointly with private and public investments. Information is provided about the current developments in different participation rounds and public discussion events, with guided tours, events on building sites and festivities. If one adds the urban development promotion of the Federal Government to this, approximately 45 million euros are being invested by the public sector especially in the infrastructure of the new urban district. A park related to the water, places, sidewalks and quayside facilities are being renovated and newly built. Come here and have a look!