OTTO LINNE PREIS - luchterhandt

South-east entrance to the city
The review area embraces something that for many years has repeatedly been a discussion point in
Hamburg, the “south-east gateway to the city”. Everyone travelling the road over the Elbe bridges has
to arrive in this space – and is surprised by the infrastructure-heavy aura of the area, coming so soon
after the far more emotional act of crossing the Elbe. In the past many planners have produced their
concepts for turning this place into a worthy entrance into Hamburg. In the process, special attention
was concentrated on the great hopes for developing the former piggyback station, which, being a large,
continuous stretch of derelict space, has enormous potential for the redevelopment of Rothenburgsort.
The following keywords point to issues regarding development based on urban planning for the built
environment and open spaces: inner periphery and backyard view, concision in urban development and
imposing open space in the metropolis, fundamental rearrangement of space or incremental strategy,
townscape and architectural measures or distinctively planned open spaces?
Homogeneous or heterogeneous pattern of use
In the review area a variety of uses and “no-uses” clash with each other. It is a production site (National
Starch), a trading site (wholesale market and commerce), a place to live, eat out and offer services. A
neighbourhood of old warehouses, buildings worth preserving and worthless storage halls is now gaining
a reputation as an up and coming creative quarter. At present it seems underused, although is has
already been officially discovered and is part of a municipal strategy of developing quarters for creative
people in Hamburg. There are a few options on the market for using the water – from workplaces to
houses to sports and tourism. Asking what the location’s use profile is raises a core question: which uses
might – unlike today – be more compatible with each other in future? Is it possible to achieve a new
coexistence between hitherto incompatible uses and users? What principles would apply? Which use
would have priority? Can one use displace another? Are certain uses no longer appropriate these days?
What new uses are conceivable? What role is played by infrastructure which is put to varyingly intensive
use, or by air and noise pollution?
38