Ferry and Cruise Terminal in Hamburg-Altona

Ferry and Cruise Terminal Client: DFDS Seaways Hamburg/Kopenhagen GbR Kreuzfahrtterminal Construction Costs: about 50 million DM Services: Architecture competition planning, design, tendering, construction supervision Period: 1987 - 1992 Cooperation: Architekten me di um, Hamburg Alsop & Lyall, London

The cruise terminal established at the former fishing port in Altona represents an architecture highlight inspired by high-tech rather than by traditional port romance and is of much importance to Hamburg’s essential theme “Build at the water”.

The building is about 200 m long. The gross floor area amounts to about 14.000 m2, the converted space about 55.000 m3.

The office and terminal buildings enclose 4 – 6 stories and arrange themselves into 32 axles with distinctive double columns. A gallery with “skylight” which is lit up blue at night time runs across the entire length of the 5th floor as the 6th floor.

Granite accentuates the entrance area’s character. Even the entrance doors are coated with thin granite plates. To present the possible nobility of bare concrete, it was left completely visible in the stairway area and was solely treated with colour by artists.

The open underground garages are built along the entire length of the basement in a flood safe construction. The slab and walls are manufactured in watertight concrete. The buoyance security is ensured by a pile foundation made from displacement auger piles.

The office space positioned southward with view to the river Elbe are equipped with sun protection glazing. Additionally, outer adjustable sun blinds are attached. The offices positioned north are equipped with insulated glazing. Further in addition air conditioners were installed for summer cooling and winter heating as requested by the tenant.

Aluminium profiles with partly dyed insulated glazing forms the fronts and roof covering of the building.

The Ferry and cruise terminal was distinguished as construction of the year 1992 by the Architekten- und Ingenieur-Verein Hamburg E.V.