The innovative and sustainable Edge Elbside office building in HafenCity's Elbbrückenquartier redefines contemporary workspace design. Rather than adhering to the master plan's vision of a conventional enclosed courtyard, Behnisch Architekten developed a bold strategy: dissolving the traditional courtyard into a network of innovative winter gardens distributed throughout the entire structure. These transitional spaces blur the boundary between interior and exterior, generating a distinctive microclimate that fundamentally enhances the building's spatial character. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, the winter gardens serve practical purposes—quiet zones for focused work and collaborative meetings, while their integrated landscape elements and cross-ventilation systems actively reduce the building's overall energy consumption. Standing nearly 70 meters tall with a ground floor, mezzanine, and 15 additional levels, Edge Elbside employs a CO₂-efficient slim-floor construction method. By utilizing prestressed concrete hollow-core slabs and steel composite beams flush with the ceiling, the construction process cuts CO₂ emissions roughly in half compared to conventional cast-in-place methods. The design breaks from traditional corporate layouts by prioritizing open, adaptable spaces that foster seamless communication and teamwork. A striking internal circulation spine—the Magistrale—encourages spontaneous interaction, clarifies wayfinding, manages vertical flow, and works in concert with the winter gardens to optimize the floor plan's spatial efficiency. This envelope-and-core concept grants tenants freedom to customize their interior environments. The façade-facing winter gardens nurture occupant well-being by establishing an intuitive rhythm between productivity and respite while flooding spaces with natural light. Through its holistic commitment to sustainability and user experience, Edge Elbside sets a new standard for the modern office. Vattenfall, the project's anchor tenant, occupies approximately 80 percent of the building's floor area. Berlin-based de Winder Architekten orchestrated the planning and design of the nearly 19,000 m² work environment for approximately 1,450 employees of the energy company.

www.behnisch.com

Photos:
David Matthiessen
www.davidmatthiessen.com

(Published in CUBE Hamburg 04|24)