Quartier Stadthöfe

Crown made of tiles

With the conversion of the Stadthöfe in Hamburg, David Chipperfield Architects Berlin has given the port city a new atmospheric quarter.

The concept of the Stadthöfe combines the revitalization of the historical building with the revitalization and connection of the courtyards within the development. In the listed buildings of the former urban development authority in Hamburg’s city center, a versatile ensemble of buildings was created with a mix of retail, hotel, gastronomy, residential, office and exhibition space.

The conversion also included the new roof structure of the listed building of the former urban development authority, which had suffered major damage during the Second World War. During reconstruction, this was smoothed out with continuous flat roofs, which robbed it of its character. David Chipperfield Architects Berlin interpreted the original building and opted for a stepwise receding architecture: two attics were added, which thanks to their gradation offer narrow terraces. The structure is clad with “Cover C71” tiles by Petersen Tegl. The “Cover” tiles are handmade in wooden moulds, which gives them a harmonious and rustic structure and makes each brick unique.

By means of a substructure developed by SYSTEA especially for this building project, the tiles could be fixed particularly efficiently and safely. The tiles lie firmly on top and thus withstand the “Hamburg wind”, which at times blows strongly in the Hanseatic city.