Europahafenkopf
Landmarks in Sight!
  • Location
    Bremen
  • Project
    Use and design concept for the Bremer Hafenkopf district
  • Procedure
    Competition with stakeholder dialogue
  • Client
    Zech Group GmbH
  • Architect of record
    Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer
  • Planning time
    2018
  • Gross floor area (AG/BG)
    66,700/24,600 m²
  • Visualizations
    Konzept3D

A new district is taking shape in Bremen’s Europahafen. In 2018, the Zech Group launched a competition with stakeholder dialogue to develop the plots at the prominent head of the harbor basin. The core idea of our concept was to determine the ideal scale for this location, considering urban development, design, and use. We proposed an ensemble of three buildings for the Europahafenkopf. Designed to function as a cohesive unit, potentially even serving as a landmark, each of these buildings also stands out as distinct and uniquely defined.

Inside, outside and in between

The new Hafenkopf siblings, Zech-Haus and Wohn-Loft, with their heights ranging from 14 to 17 stories, provide a dramatic conclusion to the three-kilometer-long visual axis stretching from the city center to the Weser River, while the tiered office loft marks the urban prelude to the ensemble. The ground floors of these buildings enhance the public space and bolster local infrastructure through a diverse mix of uses, including a market hall, dining options, a mobility station, bicycle garage, retail shops, and a large showroom. A landscaped plaza nestled between the buildings opens up to the harbor basin with terraced seating. As a special attraction, we propose adding a publicly accessible floating water park or an open-air cinema.

Project team