“A major north German port city connected to the North Sea via the Elbe.” – this, or something similar, is a common description of Hamburg. But this city is much more. Statements range from “Germany’s most important metropolis”, “one of the most famous cities in Europe”, to “Germany’s musical stronghold”, to “Germany’s gateway to the world”. Opinions about this city are as varied as Hamburgers themselves, but they all agree on one thing: the city is full.

With its 1.8 million inhabitants, Hamburg is the second most populous city in Germany, ranking right behind Berlin. While most major cities saw their population decline or stagnate during the pandemic, Hamburg, along with Leipzig and Munich, is one of the few cities that managed to grow despite the circumstances.

So it is not surprising that “new neighbourhoods and new urban development projects […] will shape our city in the coming decade”, as Dr Dorothee Stapelfeldt, Senator for Urban Development and Housing of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, put it.

For TAKENAKA, 2021 represents a special year in the urban development of Hamburg – because we are building with it! Since mid-2021, it has been confirmed that TAKENAKA will be the general contractor for the construction of buildings D1 and D2, called LUV and LEE, in the Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier of the overall project developer, investor and operator Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.

Credit: Moka-Studio & URW

The Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier is one of 10 quarters of the overall project “HafenCity” in Hamburg. This urban development project is described as the largest inner-city project of its kind and covers an area of more than 157 ha. This project, which was launched in 1997, will expand Hamburg’s inner city by about 40%, resulting in a gross floor area of about 2.5 million m².

The goal is to create 7,500 flats for about 15,000 people, and to meet not only local needs but also global requirements through high quality standards.

In addition to housing, another focus of use is on office and coworking space, retail, gastronomy, but also culture, leisure and tourism.

It is a particular pleasure for TAKENAKA to be involved in the realisation of the Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier. After all, this quarter is the most metropolitan and public-intensive in HafenCity! In the spirit of our parent company in Japan, redefining the concept of “city” for the 21st century is an important topic. In Tokyo, the world’s largest megacity, TAKENAKA has long been implementing new concepts and ideas for integrated and sustainable urban development. An experience we are happy to apply in Hamburg.

Credit: Moka-Studio & URW

TAKENAKA will be significantly involved in the construction of the twin towers LUV and LEE and, together with its partners, is responsible for the construction of the refined shell as well as the turnkey construction of all public areas. Seen from the water side, the two towers mark the entrance to HafenCity and the entrance to the city, and thus significantly determine the appearance of the quarter. The glass façade gives the towers an open and cosmopolitan impression and allows for a light-flooded interior, which is underlined by the generous ceiling height of 3.14 metres.

With 13 levels each, the towers are 62m high and offer a total of 19,656 m² of office space. LUV is designed purely as an office and, with approx. 700 m² GFA per floor, comprises a total office area of 9,259 m². The public areas, such as lobby, lift and staircase, amount to just under 2,000 m² in this building. LEE is the larger of the two towers and, in addition to office space, will also house gastronomy, such as a sky bar on the top floor and various cafés and restaurants on the lower levels. LEE has a total of 10,397 m² of office space and a further 6,000 m² for public areas and restaurants.

The design is made by the architectural firm UNStudio. According to the current planning status, the twin towers are scheduled for completion in autumn 2023.