Görtz Palais
Hamburg, Germany 2020
Client: Quantum
The Görtz Palais on the Neuer Wall, in the centre of Hamburg, is an important building in the history of the city. The listed building was constructed as a grand house in 1710, and was the first building on the newly-created central street of Neuer Wall, within the 18th Century city extension. The building later functioned as the Town Hall during Napoleon’s Occupation, and subsequently became the headquarters of the police. It was largely destroyed in 1943, with only some parts of the ground floor and façade remaining, and was then rebuilt in the 1950s.
The Görtz Palais has a key role within the southern end of the Stadthöfe complex masterplanned by David Chipperfield Architects. The building acts as the south entrance to the connected network of courtyards of the Stadthöfe. The design removed the 1950s building behind the historic façade, and makes a new 5 storey building, with suitable floor-to-ceiling heights for retail and offices. The rebuilt project opens up the historic ground floor carriageway from the Neuer Wall to the courtyard behind, which was blocked by the 1950s building. The design is not a historic restoration, but rather incorporates the historic front within a new building, where the Palais has a coherent appearance within its new context.
Caruso St John led the design to the planning stage, and prepared detailed drawings. The project was delivered by local architects HN Architekten.


Drawings

Site plan

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

Elevation

Cross-section

Elevation

Cross-section
Related news
Project review
Building in Hamburg
In a talk for the Architecture Foundation, Associate Ben Speltz presents Caruso St John's work in Hamburg over the past decade, focusing on the practice's approach to working within the urban fabric of the city centre and introducing two recently completed projects, the Gortz Palais and Grosser Burstah Office Building.
Credits
Location
Hamburg, Germany
Date
2017-2020
Client
Quantum Projektentwicklung GmbH
Heritage
Grade I listed
Area
4,800 m²
Caruso St John Architects
Adam Caruso, Peter St John
Project architects
Timo Keller, Andreas Schmid, Catija Christensson
Project team
Barbara Thüler, Elseline Bazin, Steffi Wedde, Josephine Eigner, Thomas Toffel
Local architects
HN Architekten
Structural engineer
Wetzel & Von Seht
Services engineer
Energie technik GmbH
Cost consultant
BAL
Building physician
DS-Plan
Landscape architect
Arbos
Fire consultant
HHP West
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