Crafts and trade centre opens in Barmbek

"Modern urban planning no longer separates work, living and leisure from each other. It's far more realistic to combine everything in a district," said Katharina Fegebank, District Senator, at the opening.

The City of Hamburg seeks to create more commercial spaces in central locations to ensure a supply of resident craft businesses. Plans are being laid to build a crafts and trade centre in the densely populated Hamburg-Altona district, which would offset the development of such areas on the outskirts of Hamburg. Hamburg Invest will assist with the search for suitable sites and the approval procedures.

"'Built in Barmbek' is representative of a whole series of commercial courtyards developed on private or public initiative that offer companies in Hamburg attractive locations," said Norbert Aust, President of the Chamber of Commerce, at the opening ceremony. Kurt Reinken, Managing Director of Steg Hamburg, stressed the special mixed use nature, adding: "Apart from SMEs in the trades, services and creative industries, the target group also includes start-ups who turn their ideas around here."

Architects at the Hamburg-based Coido have come up with a stacked construction to meet the needs of all the target groups. The ground floor and first floor features workshops and production areas as well as a lift. The upper floors house micro-offices and commercial studios. Soundproofed rehearsal rooms for bands are also available. Around 90 per cent of the space has already been let to tenants in the electro-mobility, plumbing and heating sectors, furniture construction as well as designers, IT companies and those in the creative industries.

tn/sb/kk/pb