New office ensemble- Hamburg, 2012
The new construction of the office building ensemble Harvestehude enables the significant enhancement of the armed forces shared area. The scheme is designed to emulate the characteristics of the “Garden City Harvestehude”, and; therefore, is completely car free. The entrance is flanked on one side by a stately villa and on the other by contemporary office buildings, providing an interesting contrast and fusion of architecture.
The public and shared amenity space forms the entry into the Ensemble in Harvestehude. The villa is thereby restored to its former glory and complements the character of the Mittelweg, Harvestehudes and the area around Rothenbaum level for full restaurant usage. The buildings are designed around a piazza and are three stories high with an additional fourth story that forms a penthouse level with access to a wooden decked roof terrace. In addition, a ramp attached to the side of the left most building has been incorporated to access the common garage. The buildings are designed as simple and elegant structures that are surrounded by open spaces. The upper floors, used as office space, will be opened up by central cores per building with elevator and staircase. The cores are designed to maximize utility and space. The glass elevator and the stairs provide a clear view upon entering. Office floors have an area of about 400 square meters which can be either converted into cubical offices, open plan, or combined use. The staircase’s central location allows the offices to be divided and be used as variable smaller units. Therefore, the use of a whole building by one user is possible.
The top floor occupies two-thirds of the foot print of the building leaving substantial space for the roof terraces. The basements offer approximately 100 car-parking spaces and are fitted with waste areas, lockers, and technical rooms. The cores of buildings 110 A and 110 C go all the way down to the basement so that a shorter route to the offices or to the square is possible. Parking spaces for bicycles are also provided. The fenestrations of the three buildings are fitted with a unique abstract metal relief, inspired by the varied appearance of floral structures. The trees that are an integral part and unique characteristic of the office building ensemble Harvestehude.