We have taken the Milky Way as a conceptual framework in order to promote the transition from a concentric town to a polycentric arrangement of centres and sub-centres.
CLIENT
Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg
Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen
CONTEXT
International Bauforum 2019
COLLABORATION
KCAP Architects+Planners
Studio Sörensen
KUNST+HERBERT
Copenhagenize Design Co.
PHOTOCREDITS
ASTOC
Like many other towns, Hamburg is gradually evolving into a polycentric town. Several of the up-and-coming centres of the town are to be found in or near the so-called Milky Way belt which we have taken as the conceptual framework in our contribution to the 2019 Building Forum in order to promote the transition from a concentric town to a polycentric arrangement of centres and sub-centres.
The horseshoe-shaped urban structure of the Milky Way pools centrality, public transport hubs, a street grid permeable in all directions, open spaces and water features, large-scale satellites as well as a so far non-existent connection with the Elbe, and combines them in a comprehensive vision. The individual centres are essential for the decentralisation of urban concentration. With their help, activities, the distribution of density and mixed use developments can be distributed more evenly across the town. Local service and transit hubs which facilitate passenger traffic and goods transport can be better networked in the interests of sustainable urban development.