Spree harbour IBA Hamburg

Being part of an extensive green belt, the Veringpark is located on the south side of the bustling Hafenrand Street, between the Spree Harbor and the residential area of the Reiherstieg district. In the future, one of the park's numerous uses will be to serve as an infrastructural crossing point. To improve accessibility to the Spree Harbor, plans include a pedestrian crossing from the embankment via three stairways located at different spots as well as two ramps that can also be used by cyclists.

As the central square where all pathways converge, Spreehafenplatz is a significant junction in the Wilhelmsburg's neighborhood, an attractive fairground with a vast, spatial openness. Two rows of benches are incorporated as vital architectural elements, inviting neighborhood inhabitants and visitors to stay and relax, thereby enhancing and strengthening the public nature of this space. In contrast to customary visual expectations, the benches' striking colors – painted in a bright and shiny yellow – create a distinctive, memorable identity for Spreehafenplatz. Moreover, the bench design encourages leisure and picnicking and they are equipped with a rare and special feature: alternating backs that facilitate views in two directions, looking out either to the Spree Harbor or to the dyke area and grass steps.

Our design concept for the Spree Harbor site thus seeks to preserve the site's character as a hybrid space that is neither fully urban nor natural, while creating a high-quality open space for inhabitants and visitors.

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