As a public building, the Am Baakenhafen elementary school has a special role to play in HafenCity. It functions as a superordinate social building block and, located directly on Lola-Rogge-Platz, forms the focal point of the densely built-up quarter on the elongated quay. The design by Stuttgart architects LRO Architekten clearly reflects this. The round arches on the upper floor give the building its unmistakable character and make it recognizable as a special building with its "crown". Along Baakenallee, the bright clinker brick façade clearly defines the street space, towards the square it defines the edge of the open space, and to the north, the building is part of the district's silhouette, visible from afar.

With a generously glazed commercial area, the building opens onto the square. Access to the school for 460 pupils is protected to the north via the schoolyard along Petersenkai, which is also overlooked by the assembly hall and canteen. This provides barrier-free access from Baakenallee and also from the lower level of Baakenpark via a ramp system. The unusual concept of a vertical school is due to the cramped site conditions. It results in the layering of functions on top of each other, including break areas with plant troughs on the roofs. The simple floor plan structure is easy to understand. From the centrally located foyer, the clusters and break areas on the upper floors are accessed via stairs and an elevator. The rooms for teachers and administrative staff are concentrated on one side, with the clusters for the individual year groups and their associated teacher support points on the other. The separate main entrance to the two-court sports hall under the school building is located on Baakenallee and can also be used by extracurricular activities. The building is designed for material durability, a long service life and maximum flexibility. In the cluster area, the load-bearing structure is limited to the access cores, six columns in the center of the building and the reinforced concrete columns and walls of the exterior facades. Lightweight constructions allow the building to be adapted to changing educational concepts. The two-tone clinker brick facing ensures low maintenance costs and extreme durability, as do the robust and repairable natural materials in the interior spaces. The elementary school was awarded first prize in the BDA Hamburg Architecture Prize 2024.

www.archlro.de

Photos:
Jakob Börner
www.jakobboerner.com

(Published in CUBE Hamburg 01|25)