In seiner ursprünglichen Form gab es zwischen den Gebäuden eine Grünfläche, eine Brücke und ein Denkmal für Heinrich Heine. Wie es damals aussah, kann in Eingangsbereich des Barkhof betrachtet werden. Gegenüber befindet sich der Barkhof C.

In Mönckebergstraße, connected to Spitaler Straße, stands a striking building: the Barkhof B by Franz Bach (1865-1935) from 1910, very modern for the time of its construction with heating, paternoster and elevator. The large office building has seven storeys. In its original form, there was a green space between the buildings, a bridge and a memorial to Heinrich Heine. What it looked like back then can be seen in the entrance area of the Barkhof.

Burstahhof Hamburg

From 1887-1888 it was built as one of the first office buildings in Hamburg. The architects Ricardo Bahre (-) and Carl Querfeld (1849-1893) were responsible for the construction. The beautiful facade is still original. In the 1960s, a (mini) elevator was retrofitted. The beautiful staircase can thus no longer be seen in all its glory.

Kontorhaus at Hamburg’s Rathausmarkt

Even after the Second World War, there was a need for office space in Hamburg’s city center. Many buildings were damaged or destroyed. The foundation stone for the large Kontorhaus on Rathausmarkt was laid in June 1950 and completed in 1951. It has a total area of 11,000 square meters. A spacious staircase inside allows visitors to go up next to the elevator.

Neben den riesigen Lagerhäusern der Hafenwirtschaft in der Speicherstadt gab es zunehmend Bedarf, die Geschäftsführung und Büros unterzubringen. Der enorme Aufschwung dank des mitten in der Stadt gelegenen Hafens brachte eine architektonische Spezialität nach Hamburg. Dabei ging es nicht nur um die Zahl der Büros in den Kontorhäusern, sondern auch um die Flexibilität bei der Gestaltung. Dies gelang durch eine neuartige Bauweise der Gebäude.

Die Stahlbeton-Bauweise ermöglichte einen offenen Grundriss. Pfeiler stützten die Fassade und das Geschoss. So konnten die Büros mit zahlreichen Fenstern versehen werden. Im Inneren der Geschosse war es möglich, die Flächen den Mieter anzupassen, Wände herauszunehmen oder dazwischen zu setzen. Weiter boten die Kontorhäuser zentrale Heizungen und Stromleitungen. Oft gelangten die Nutzer mit einem Paternoster (Umlauf-Fahrstuhl) in die Etagen.

Während die Büroetage praktisch und neutral gestaltet wurden, gaben die Erbauer dem Eingang und dem Treppenhaus oft Pracht und Großzügigkeit. Der Besucher kann bis heute in den noch erhaltenen Kontorhäusern die Schönheit bestaunen. Wenn Sie nicht in Hamburg zu Gast sind, lädt Sie abendfarben.com ein, eine Reise durch die grandiosen Häuser digital zu unternehmen.

Hamburg office buildings have become an integral part of the city’s image. Their function and form arose from a great need for rented offices for the trade and shipping offices. From 1880 to 1930, famous architects designed grandiose Kontorhäuser. An entire neighborhood is named after them. The first Kontorhaus on Brandstwiete was Martin Haller’s Dovenhof in 1885 (demolished in 1967 to build the SPIEGEL building) In 1938 the last Kontorhaus (Esso-Haus) was built and for a long time the building of the Hamburg World Economic Archive (HWWA) on the Binnenalster.

In addition to the huge warehouses of the port industry in the Speicherstadt, there was an increasing need to accommodate the management and offices. The enormous boom thanks to the port located in the middle of the city brought an architectural specialty to Hamburg. It was not only a question of the number of offices in the Kontor buildings, but also of flexibility in design. This was achieved by using a new type of construction method for the buildings.

The reinforced concrete construction method allowed for an open floor plan. Pillars supported the facade and the floor. This allowed the offices to be fitted with numerous windows. Inside the floors, it was possible to adapt the spaces to the tenants, to remove walls or to place them in between. Furthermore, the Kontorhäuser offered central heating and power lines. Often, users accessed the floors by paternoster (circulating elevator).

While the office floors were designed to be practical and neutral, the builders often gave grandeur and generosity to the entrance and staircase. To this day, visitors can marvel at the beauty in the surviving Kontorhäuser. If you are not visiting Hamburg, abendfarben.com invites you to take a trip through the grandiose houses digital.