Hafen City

&MICA is charged with planning the third construction phase, which includes four detached multi-family residential buildings on Hafen­platz. The building site is located in direct proximity to the river Boize, which feeds the harbour basin and then flows into the Elbe. Due to the soil condi­tions this causes, the buildings will be constructed without basements; they will rest on a water­proof concrete slab-on-grade with bored pile founda­tions. The buildings, constructed with load-bearing walls, will have flat roofs with extensive vegetation and veneer façades made of salvaged clinker bricks. This way, they will not only fit perfectly into the Boizenburg townscape, but will also be closely associated with each other. The new develo­pment will also have a richly varied appearance thanks to its orien­tation and the dispersed arran­gement of the individual buildings.

The four polygonal buildings are arranged slightly offset around a square and confi­gured in such a way that a sheltered semi-public shared courtyard is created at their centre. It estab­lishes an identi­fiable address and ensures barrier-free access. Encounters among the residents are additio­nally fostered by the way the doorways are positioned and recessed. Three of the buildings each have two storeys plus a set-back upper storey, while the fourth, somewhat smaller building has three full storeys. Together, they provide space for 28 rental units with a total living area of 2,285 square metres. Balconies at the building corners open up views of the Boize from almost all the exterior spaces.

The landscape archi­tects’ open space concept features a staggered arran­gement of private gardens and shared, diffe­ren­tiated green spaces with seating elements and tree plantings. These give structure to the develo­pment, whose archi­tecture is typified by clarity, recog­nisa­bility and a playful approach.