Megathek Hamburg - A digital center for the Hanseatic city. Results of the aac workshop

The fall workshop of the aac Academy for Architectural Culture took place from the 1st to the 24th of September, 2021, in the aac’s studios at the Rainvilleterrasse Campus in Hamburg under the guidance of Volkwin Marg and Nikolaus Goetze...

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From the architect: At a time when almost all media are available digitally, we have to ask how useful traditional libraries are as places of information and learning. In response to this situation, many so-called multimedia libraries have been created over the last ten years that also store and make available digital content.

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The City of Hamburg also wants to build a multimedia library in which traditional library functions are combined with interactive concepts. Alongside highly developed digital equipment, a dedicated space will be created for interaction with and use of all types of media, a multimedia library that is open to the public and involves the citizens, which means that the building will also function as a contemporary form of a traditional community center.

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The site for the aac design at Gerhard Hauptmann Platz is located in central Hamburg. The site available is that of the former main branch of HSH Nordbank built in the 1970s. The future multimedia library is intended to become an urban place of attraction, including facilities beyond those of a pure multimedia library, such as restaurants and a makerspace available to the public, as well as workshops, recording studios, smaller cinemas, and events rooms. With a variety of spaces, a network of public pathways, and attractive landscaped areas, a new urban center can be created.

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The workshop kicked off with the participants going on an excursion to Helsinki. The program included visits to buildings by Alvar Aalto and a guided tour of the Oodi Central Library designed by ALA Architects. Back at the aac studios, the scholarship students worked on their designs in multinational groups. The constructive input included regular tutorials and interim presentations, as well as lectures by Elif Tinaztepe (Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects), Chris van Duijn (OMA) and Magdalene Weiss (gmp).

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The design by Group 1, Digital Connectivity, implements the networking in a digital and communicative sense: a large recess opens the building towards Gerhart Hauptmann Platz and, with curved ramps and connecting bridges, creates the connection with the upper spaces. With its Vertical Agora, Group 2 transforms the principle of an agora – a market place and place of knowledge transfer – into the vertical.

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Projecting podiums and inserted atmos zones accompany visitors on their way to the top where, with a public roof terrace, roof gardens, and an expressive roof, the Agora becomes visible in the skyline of the Hanseatic City. The infinity of acquiring knowledge is symbolized by the Infinite Space of Group 3, featuring an atrium that extends in stages towards the top and that is framed by three cascade-like rising glass volumes that allow for easy orientation and direct vertical access. Group 4 cuts the space into three sculptural sections using vertical access joints that help with orientation and let in daylight.

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The “floating” nature of these sections allows the surrounding city landscape to continue beneath them as a Continuous Landscape and to translate the vertically structured offsets into a world of adventure with staircases, ramps, and terraces. The results of the workshop are currently available to view in an exhibition at the aac studios on the Rainvilleterrasse Campus.

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Workshop Leaders: Prof. Dr.-Ing. h.c. Volkwin Marg and Nikolaus Goetze
aac Team: Enno N. Maass, Anja Meding, Sona Kazemi, Gabriela Hopf, Tutors Fabian Färber, Walter Gebhardt, Philipp Kamps, Sona Kazemi, Anja Meding

Opening period Until December 16, 2021
Opening times Monday to Friday, 10 am – 4 pm

© Jochen Stueber

© Jochen Stueber

© Jochen Stueber