ENG LAT

RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER

Add your e-mail address to receive our monthly news.

WE RECOMMEND:

Jewellery by Artists: From Picasso to Koons, an exhibition organised by the culture and art portal Arterritory.com

Destinations · Europe · germany · Hamburg · Things to do ·

The city of the future

There aren't many cities with fresh symbols as powerful as those in Hamburg. Though the new home of the Philharmonic is still unfinished, for instance, it is already one of the major tourist attractions in the city. Its huge glass wave-like form juts out into the Elbe like a spear and can be seen from a considerable distance. The building radiates a strange magic despite still being surrounded by construction cranes -- in fact, it's quite the opposite; the reflections of the cranes add another decorative element to the swirling glass of the facade. The glass reflects the sky, clouds, and city lights -- and the waters of the Elbe. In sunlight, the glass wave literally seems to vibrate like the surface of the water. The building was designed by the well-known Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron and is located in one of the hottest developments in town -- HafenCity (Harbour City), also as yet unfinished. It covers 157 hectares, between the historic warehouse district Speicherstadt and the Elbe, and that makes it the largest urban redevelopment project on the planet at this time.

Essentially, it's a brand new city within a city, and in the future it will expand Hamburg's size by about 40 percent. It will include whole new neighbourhoods of housing, office buildings, its own university, hotels, museums, a harbour, cafes, shops, squares, bridges... the scale of the project is unimaginably immense, and HafenCity is already more like an autonomous republic than a traditional urban area. 45 of the planned projects within this grand project have been completed, and about 35 are awaiting their turn. The Philharmonic is expected to open next year. The site itself is symbolic. In 1875, what was then the largest warehouse in the city was opened here. During the Second World War, the Neo-gothic structure was completely destroyed, but in 1963 the warehouse was built anew. It dutifully preserved its function as a depot for tea, coffee and cacao until the 1990s. Part of the historic structure is preserved in the new Philharmonic building; the new edifice rests on the roof of the old warehouse, thereby retaining the austere cube in its new incarnation. Two seemingly radically different worlds are joined in this way, the old one with its weighty bricks anchored firmly to the ground upon piles driven into the riverbed, and the other airily reflecting the sky and passing clouds, the ephemeral beauty of the changing heavens. 37 metres above ground -- at the spot where these separate worlds meet -- there will be a large open terrace. Its total area will be 4000 square metres, competing with Hamburg's vast Rathaus Square in size. The glass wave itself will rise to a height of 110 metres and encompass three concert halls, a five-star hotel with 250 rooms, and apartments. The largest auditorium, holding 2150 seats at 50 metres above water level, aims to be one of the most acoustically perfect spaces on earth. It must be said that this grandiose project has already been in the thick of controversy -- it had a planned budget of 114 million euro, but the cost swiftly ballooned to 400 million.

If you've come as far as the Philharmonic, it's worth heading for the Philharmonic pavilion (Elbphilharmonie Pavilion), located at the Magellan Terraces, about half a kilometre from the growing glass wave. With three storeys of steel and glass, designed by the well-known local architect Andreas Heller, the pavilion functions as a sort of overture for the Philharmonic building. Here you can see a scale model of the main auditorium, a tenth of its actual size. Along the perimeter of the facade, twenty loudspeakers sprout like austere stone flowers. All you need to do is lend an ear to the future repertoire. The sensation is somewhat surreal; there are construction sites and building cranes all about, but you press your ear to a stone flower and listen to Tchaikovsky, for example, performed by the Latvian virtuoso Baiba Skride together with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

The Magellan Terraces take the form of an amphitheatre leading to the water's edge. On one of the many bridges, a wedding party is being photographed. On pontoons between yachts and motorboats, some attempt to catch some rays. Though there are not a few customers in the cafes along the promenade, there is still the slight discomfort of the utterly new -- the place hasn't yet a scratch and is not yet marked by time. You feel a little bit like you're on a stage set, searching for the appropriate prop -- if only an old ship's log, or anything bearing the scars of salt, sand and past storms. The specifications of HafenCity are undeniably mind-boggling though -- promenades and squares along the waterfront alone will stretch across ten and a half kilometres of shoreline. The construction of this new city within a city strictly observes sustainable, environmentally friendly standards, which is part of why Hamburg was awarded its European Green Capital standing earlier this year.

The first hotel in HafenCity opened its doors in July -- the 25Hours Hotel HafenCity. A colourful blend of a budget and luxury hotel, the inspiration for its concept were sea stories overheard in the nearby port -- 25 yarns about dreams, romance, and the difficulties of life at sea. Some of the stories are incarnated in the interior details of the rooms, others in the large lobby, restaurant and bar, all with nautical themes. It's a large industrial space where people from the ends of the earth can meet, each leaving an imprint such as exotic souvenirs or simply part of the atmosphere.

Though HafenCity is devoid of history, its architecture absolutely contemporary, you will find a witness to the past in one of the new district's corners. Oddly intact, it's a colourful character from bygone days that in Hamburg have mostly been erased. It's not very easy to find -- near the Customs Bridge, with small square windows topped by triangular panes, the Oberhafen Canteen is a genuine denizen from olden days and reminds one of a place in a fairy tale. Opened in 1925, it was long the property of a single family -- but the last descendant died in 1993 at the age of 83. Despite the turbulence of German history, it was never, ever shuttered. The Oberhafen now has landmark status, and it was restored in 2005. The small interior, however, was fully preserved -- there are simple benches covered with leather, wooden tables, and a creaking wooden floor worn by countless feet over the years. The menu, too, still offers herring sausages. Frikadelle, quite popular with dockworkers, are what turned into hamburgers once their recipe migrated across the ocean. In summer, there are also tables outside. Sitting under the bridge between the dockside warehouses and an industrial construction site, you feel like you're ensconced in a time capsule. This is a palpable crossroads between the old and the new.

The Old Elbe Tunnel

The first bridges across the Elbe were built in the 19th century, but the St. Pauli port, where the large passenger liners docked, couldn't be bridged because of the height of the ships. Those working in that harbour had to make use of ferries, constantly causing traffic jams in the waterway. Inspired by Glasgow in Scotland, the city decided to construct the tunnel in 1901. The project required 4,400 workers. When it was opened a decade later, in 1911, the tunnel was doubtless an engineering marvel of its era. It has fulfilled its function ever since, but it has also become a prime tourist destination. The tunnel is 24 metres below the water level of the river, and passengers can descend by lift or by spiral staircase. The descent is fascinating, with the mechanisms involved in plain view -- a freight elevator carries automobiles upward. When you finally reach the bottom, even on a hot summer's day you will be met by freezing cold. 426 metres in length, the tunnel connects St. Pauli with the Steinwerder shipyard on the opposite bank. Light-coloured tiles decorated with nautical elements -- anchors, fish, boats and such -- line the walls. Cars are permitted only on weekdays, so if you would like to savour a strangely thrilling claustrophobia, 24 metres below the Elbe, it's best to come on a Saturday or Sunday. One of Europe's oldest functioning tunnels, it also hosts the occasional special event -- since 2007, for example, the last Sunday in January features a marathon.

The Beatles and the Lennon Doorway

As in many European cities, famous people connected to Hamburg have been successfully canonized. Brahms and Mendelssohn were born here, but among the most colourful memories the city has is of the Beatles. In 1960, the previously nearly unknown band from Liverpool arrived in Hamburg. It was then composed of five adventurers -- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. On August 17th, they performed for the first time -- at Indra Club, a place popular with sailors, prostitutes and pimps. The club was located in Grosse Freiheit, a street off the infamous Reeperbahn. Hamburg became the Beatles' real training ground, as well as the springboard for their career. Their first recording was made in this period, and it was in Hamburg that Lennon and McCartney first played with Ringo Starr, then a member of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. They still had a long way to go to fame and glamour; during their christening by fire in Hamburg, they were housed in the Bambi Kino storeroom nearby, next to the ladies' room. Countless Beatles fans make a pilgrimage to Hamburg to try to follow in the footsteps of the core of the "Fab Four", and last year the city marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles' first concert here with flair. An extensive Beatlemania exhibit opened a Beatles museum on the Reeperbahn, between strip clubs and sex shops. The corner of Reeperbahn and Grosse Freiheit is now known as Beatles-Platz. It's in the shape of a vinyl record and the boys from Liverpool are present rather like gingerbread men, with their familiar faces. Every fifth tourist probably has a picture taken here, the strip clubs in the background. Note that not a few of the places associated with the Beatles don't exist anymore, or have shifted locations. Star Club, for instance, burned down in 1987. Indra Club still exists and it is also one of the points of interest on the quite engaging Beatles Tour (www.beatle-tour.com).

There's another secret address in Hamburg that you won't find in most travel guides. The Lennon Doorway is a place hardcore John Lennon fans flock to almost as religiously as Doors fans flock to Jim Morrison's grave in Paris... well, that would be a slight exaggeration. You'll find the doorway in the courtyard at Wohlwillstrasse 22, in St. Pauli. It's basically an ordinary, worn wooden door in an unassuming brick building, but it's significant in that a 1965 photograph taken here graced the cover of Lennon's sixth solo album, in 1975, post-Beatles. The photo is black and white and the door is barely visible -- Lennon, still quite young in the picture, leans against it, in a black leather jacket. It was taken when the Beatles returned to this city for the second time. Lennon would later say of this period that he was born in Liverpool, but grew up in Hamburg. Jurgen Vollmer, a photographer from Hamburg who later became famous for his fashion shoots and shots of stars, took it -- he befriended the band members when they first arrived in Germany. Even if you don't come here just to see the door, this is a worthwhile destination -

Wohlwillstrasse is lined with alternative shops and cafes. It is another part of Hamburg that seems to live a life of its own, and one feels that the Beatles would feel at home here even today. At a place called Kandie, a hole in the wall, you can get T-shirts that say Voodoo Chanel, and further on there's a bicycle shop called Suicycle...

To find the courtyard, look for the sign that says Jagerpassage. There are no other signs. The vestibule is covered with graffiti and posters, and you need to push open the wooden gate and go in. The door is immediately recognizable, and when we were there a sort of gatekeeper was sipping beer. He smiled when asked if this is the actual door, and nodded. You won't be the first visitor, or the last.

Though this is most definitely not the most famous or the most attractive or the most desirable part of Hamburg, this curious out-of-the-way area has a charm that seems to gel with the essnce of the city. It has the harshness port cities often have, an international mix, a crudeness, sex, drugs, 'n rock 'n roll, and an untamed creative energy.

SHARE:

ABOUT US • CONTACTS • RSS • FOLLOW US: ENG LAT

© anothertravelguide.com 2015
Anothertravelguide.com is an internet resource for independent travellers. All addresses listed on anothertravelguide.com - hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. have been tested and evaluated by our authors. All opinions are subjective and anothertravelguide.com takes no responsibility if any of these locations don't live up to your personal expectations, taste or mood, or has undergone serious changes since visited by authors and experts of anothertravelguide.com.