HafenCity

HafenCity is the new area that has been developed recently in Hamburg's harbour, right next to the city center. Large shiny new office and residential buildings are built right by wide canals. Some office highrises have also been built in Hafencity. Much is now completed, but even more is planned for the future, like the new large concert hall. By 2015 the area will have 10 000 inhabitants and 15 000 workers. It is a nice place to stroll summertime. Hafencity reminds a bit of American cities. A part of HafenCity is called Speicherstadt, where the canals flows through renovated warehouses (see the Speicherstadt section). Hamburg has more bridge inside its city limits then any other city, more then Amsterdam and Venice combined.

HafenCity: Columbus Haus and Elbphilharmonie (u/c), the concert hall that will be completed in 2012. River Elbe flows through Hamburg's harbour.

Columbus Haus at Hanseatic Trade Center was built in 2002. It has 23 floors.

St Nikolai and Katharinenkirche seen from Hafencity.

Hanseatic Trade Center, an office complex from 2002.

St Nikolai.

Columbus Haus.

A bridge leads over the canal to Hanseatic Trade Center.

Am Sandtorkai reminds of a street in some American city.

Elbphilharmonie, finallly under construction after financial troubles. When completed in 2012 this striking new theater and concert hall will be 110 m tall. It consist of a s
triking steel structure built over an old warehouse. The architect firm is Herzog & de Meuron.

Sandtorhafen is a small boat harbour with modern residential buildings in rare shapes. It is a nice place to stroll and reminds a bit of cities like Vancouver.

Elbphilharmonie seen from Sandtorhafen.

HafenCity skyline.

Many buildings with unconventional architecture are located in the harbour.

Elbphilarmonie and a small highrise with a circular rooftop, somewhat lower then the nearby Columbus-Haus.

A very cool building that plays music from classical concerts.

At Pavillon Elbphilharmonie you can hear the orchestra play different symphonies if you listen in the holes.

Sandtorhafen seen from the pavilion.

Marco Polo Terrassen at River Elbe.

The new Unilever highrise building is one of the most striking ones in the harbour. It has 17 floors. It has a light and futuristic atrium inside.

Close-up of Unilever's new headquarters.

Am Sandtorkai: To the left are the renovated warehouses of Speicherstadt and to the right is the newly built residential and office blocks of HafenCity.