MAIN CUSTOMS OFFICE BUILDING IN HAMBURG

At the entrance to the newly developed district, the new building for Hamburg‘s main customs office marks the start of an architectural narrative that brings tradition and modernity into a harmonious dialog. The central idea of the design and its urban grain embody a classic transformation of existing structures that are in a respectful discourse with one another. The proximity to the historic and heavily frequented Speicherstadt warehouse district is reflected in the expressive and address-forming architecture. Both the urban space and a concise identity are created. The building defines the urban space by completing the existing perimeter block along the street. At the same time, it reacts sensitively to the eaves height of the neighboring monument with a two-storey, recessed stepped storey and respects its historical significance. The serially perforated façade of the new building lends the Hanseatic brick architecture a contemporary expressiveness through the ornamental, tectonic use of brick. The first floor opens up with an arcade that creates an urban, public and at the same time transparent expression. Here, public use and Hanseatic sovereign tasks merge by integrating the handling of parcels for customs clearance and the associated public traffic into the architectural design.