HIGH STREET ALIVE
aac hamburg autumn 2023 workshop
Mönckebergstrasse, centrally located in Hamburg, is the link between the town hall and the main railway station, and its orientation, bent at a shallow angle, offers changing and exciting visual axes. It is also lined by two important churches, which historically have always been spatial points of attraction in a city.
In order to make the Karstadt building a strong point of attraction that draws people in outside of business hours, public squares are integrated into the building that are reached via public access, thus recreating a kind of urban fabric. These squares are placed at the corners of the building and are cut out of the existing structure.
Their location at the corners allows a view of the two adjacent churches and the Thalia Theatre. The three public squares are accessible by means of an upward winding path and are linked to different themes and functions, which in their expression and materiality refer to the landmarks typical of Hamburg.
The square that can be reached first represents a kind of market hall and is directly adjacent to the sales areas of the condensed Karstadt. Continuing along the path, one reaches the Urban Living Room, which invites everyone to read and relax and is linked to a library.
Now the path leads from the inside of the building to the outside and you reach the open foyer of the small theatre, which has a view of Gerhart-Hauptmann Platz and the Thalia Theatre and can be used for performances and open-air events.
At the very top of the roof is the pool and a shallow water basin, which creates a relationship to the harbour and the Alster, and as a special attraction with a view of Hafencity also enlivens the restaurant and bar. Behind the listed façade are the flats on the upper floors, which also have a communal garden on the roof.
