Elbtower in Hamburg: Does the Natural History Museum come as a savior?

The Elbtower in Hamburg HafenCity was originally supposed to be 245 meters high. Due to the bankruptcy of the investor René Benko and the associated economic uncertainties, the construction work has been resting since the end of October 2023. The urban development agency expresses concerns about a possible reduction in height to 100 meters, as this is assessed as uneconomical. The urban development senator Karen Pein (SPD) sees a little probability that the Elbeower will only remain 100 meters high, since the rental space would drop below 70 percent at this height.

The missing upper floors are crucial for the rental income of the private investor, since higher square meters of rents are necessary to cover the high construction costs. A reduction would also mean that many expensive investments would be superfluous. In addition, the technology areas in the basement are designed for the planned 245-meter building. The architect's consent would be necessary to change the design, and a new development plan could take years. The authority comes to the conclusion that no investor would be found for a permanent amount of 100 meters.

museum as a potential anchor tenant

The preliminary insolvency administrator is currently negotiating with a consortium about the real estate entrepreneur Dieter Becken about the sale of the Elbeower. A natural history museum of the Leibniz community is considered as a possible main tenant. Mayor Peter Tschentscher is open to the idea if the interests of the city are preserved. It emphasizes the importance of economy and attractiveness for science and public.

The city plans to build a new natural history museum by 2027, which is to accommodate the collection of the Hamburg Center for Natural History with around ten million objects. The estimated costs for the building are in the three -digit million range and are to be financed by the city and private sponsors. However, the opposition expresses criticism of this solution, as fears that public money may be spent on the Elbeower.

The Elbtower was originally a project by insolvent Signa Prime Selection AG, which was to be completed in 2025 for around 950 million euros. Construction work was discontinued at a height of 100 meters because invoices were not paid. The planned elbower should have 60 floors and be shaped by the architecture design of David Chipperfield, as ndr.de . An article on Welt.de