2419 Grasbrook Hamburg

Location:
Hamburg, Germany

Process:
International two-phase competition, 2019–2020

Team:
Studio Vulkan, ADEPT Architects, Antje Stokman

Visualizations:
Nightnurse Images, Doug & Wolf

Photography:
Studio Vulkan

Details:

• [masterplan]
• [open space concept]
• [streetscape]
• [Vulkan Urban]

Between City, Water, and Memory

In September 2019, the task was to shape the future of Hamburg’s former harbor lands in dialogue with its citizens. As part of a two-phase competition, Studio Vulkan Landscape Architecture – together with the Danish architecture and urban design office ADEPT – was invited to deepen and develop a shared urban and landscape design concept.

Directly on the harbor, in a dynamic and layered context, the new district of Grasbrook is taking shape. The Elbe River creates a unique natural setting, the port lends its distinctive atmosphere, HafenCity stands as an urban counterpart, while the neighboring districts of Veddel and Wilhelmsburg reflect vibrant, historically grown communities.

Within this field of tension, Grasbrook emerges as a vital node – linking the Elbe islands and connecting to the southern quarters of Hamburg.

The design of the Grasbrook Tidepark encompasses all open spaces within the new district – on land and on water. As the blue-green heart of the emerging Moldauhafen and Hafentor quarters, it also forms a key part of the “Blue Veddel” development axis. Through the Holthusen Promenade and an iconic pedestrian bridge, the Tidepark is seamlessly connected to the adjacent Veddel neighborhood.

The tidal basins of the Moldauhafen and Saalehafen become a “delta laboratory” – a space of experience and exploration, revealing the ecological richness and sensory qualities of this amphibious environment shaped by the rhythm of the tides. Along the Moldauhafen, generous green spaces unfold, embracing existing buildings and integrating the distinctive Übersee roof. The result is a central park landscape of remarkable scale, defined by its ever-changing relationship to the water.

This expansive spatial gesture is no coincidence – it reflects Hamburg’s deep-rooted identity as a city that has always evolved in close dialogue with its landscape.

The Grasbrook Tidepark not only reconnects the urban fabric with a unique natural setting shaped by tides, rivers, and harbors, but also serves as a vital link between the new district and its surrounding neighborhoods – a place of encounter and exchange, where city and nature come together in a shared urban experience.