baakenpark community building, Hafencity, Hamburg

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Competition, 2019

COMMUNITY BUILDING FOR baakenpark

Our proposal explores the park pavilion typology through form, playfulness and colour. The dusty pink colour of the facade, together with the green roof elements and the exposed wooden components of the structure and walls, give it a park character rather than a street character. The building creates a dialogue with the Baakenhafen and the main access road to the pedestrian bridge and thus serves as a recognisable landmark at a key point of the urban landscape. Its asymmetrical form relates to the free forms of the park and the orientation towards the waterside areas.

The bright colour metal exterior of the building is paired with natural materials, exploring a language that is robust yet soft; industrial yet crafted; efficient yet fun. The hearth of the building is the large and bright glass box that faces Baakenhafen; it is split into two public accessible levels. Artwork is integrated into the main wall of the cafe, which is visible from the outside.

The publicly accessible main areas - the café, public toilets with barrier-free access - are clearly visible and accessible from the promenade side. The café uses both levels of the building, which are connected via its own staircase. The multipurpose rooms are located on the upper level and open to the upper side of the park. All main areas are accessible from a centrally located foyer extending over both levels.

All the structures are built in prefabricated Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), which are exposed on the internal spaces and provide natural wooden finishes without the need for additional materials. The steel façade and the metal mesh panels are durable and have great resistance to vandalism and the seaside weather of Hafencity.

The main building composition is CLT combined with thermal insulation and steel cladding panels treated with natural oil pigments. The building takes advantage of the natural sunlight, while at the same time providing shadow mainly on the southwestern sides. The building materials combine the durability with sustainable construction and high thermal mass.

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