SPACE November 2024 (No. 684)
Project Niederhafen River Promenade
Architect Zaha Hadid Architects
Location 20459, Jan-Fedder-Promenade, Humburg, Germeny
Length 625m
Width 10m
Competition year 2006
Construction period 2011 – May 2019
Opening May 2019
Client Department for Roads, Bridges and Waterways (LSBG), City of Hamburg
Feb. 1962 A major flood hits Hamburg, this disaster becomes a turning point for Hamburg’s flood preparedness
1964 – 1968 Planning and construction of new flood prevention infrastructure, a 7.2m barrier is installed along the banks of the Elbe River
2006 After a detailed analysis and simulation of the Elbe River flood characteristics, it was determined that the barrier height needed to be increased by 80cm, and the existing barrier structure required reinforcement due to aging
2006 International design competition held
2011 – 2015 Phase 1 of construction is carried out
2015 – 2019 Phase 2 of construction is carried out
May 2019 Completion and opening to the public
Decision-Making Based on Collective Memory
In February 1962, Hamburg was hit by a record-breaking flood. A storm surge, reaching a height of 5.7m, swept across Germany’s northern coast and into the Elbe River, breaching 63 dikes and flooding the city. In a single day, 315 residents lost their lives, and the homes of over 60,000 people were submerged. Electricity and gas supplies were cut off, and the city’s infrastructure was completely destroyed. It was a disaster for which no one was prepared. The experience left a lasting impact, not just on the affected communities but also on Hamburg as a city and the nation as a whole.
After the flood, political discussions began in Hamburg about the need to modernise the city’s flood defences. ...
