New Cruise Terminal Kiel

Due to growing numbers of passengers and port calls the seaport of Kiel decided to built a new terminal building for cruise passengers.

The flow of movements by passengers and luggage was an essential inspiration for the design idea. It led to the shape of the building, resulting from the elongated structures of elevated gangways merging with the intersection of arriving and departing passengers.

While two cruise ships were previously handled via one terminal at the Ostseekai, each ship will now have its own building. Ships with more than 3000 passengers can now be handled on a 3700 square meter area.

The new building is attached to the north of Ostseekai terminal and forms an ensemble with it - via connections on both levels. The existing building and the new building create a V-shaped reception area facing the city for incoming visitors. A spacious terrace with a view of the Kiel Fjord is also accessible to the public by a spacious outside staircase.

Baggage handling is carried out in the areas on the ground floor. Passengers use escalators to get to the waiting area and check-in on the upper floor. From there, passengers are guided directly to the ships through gangways.

While the baggage hall on the ground floor was made of wide-span reinforced concrete elements with large column spacing, the supporting structure of the upper floor consists of filigree steel profiles. Similar to the existing building, the building shell of the new terminal was made from metal panels. The matt metallic surface reflects the daylight and, like the water in the harbor basin, changes the color mood depending on the time of day and the incidence of light.

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