News.

11.10.2022 – In July 2022, the new road bridge was lifted over the Elbe-Lübeck Canal from the assembly area on the west bank of the canal and then brought into its final position across the canal.

And now the film about it is also ready!

We could not resist the opportunity to capture on film the exciting moments of the bridge lifting from different angles and to put them together in a short video.

• More about the project: Lanze-Buchhorst road bridge

   

26.08.2022 - We are pleased to announce a new planning contract!

In the area of the Metzgerbrücke, the Alster is canalised. The riverside path is interrupted by the bridge abutments. A footbridge in front of the eastern abutment is to close this gap.

The bank enclosure of the approx. 270 m long section was built in 1913 and is a listed building. The bank wall consists of a wooden sheet pile wall on a wooden pile trestle and is connected by an unreinforced concrete head.

The historic seawall has exceeded its technical service life and needs to be rehabilitated. This rehabilitation of the bank wall is being planned together with the construction of the jetty in a pilot project using the BIM method. The old and unique splendour of the Alster canals is to be preserved here.

08.07.2022 – The new bridge is there. Already a year ago, the over 100-year-old steel lattice framework bridge between the communities of Lanze and Buchhorst was lifted out with a large mobile crane and dismantled. At the beginning of June, the time had come: the new, modern road bridge over the canal was lifted into position at the same place.

First, the 200-ton new steel bridge was pre-assembled on an assembly area next to the Elbe-Lübeck Canal. It was then lifted onto a floating pontoon in the canal using a large crawler crane and then floated into its final position on the newly constructed bridge abutments. The new road bridge, with a larger span, significantly increases the passage width and height for shipping in the Elbe-Lübeck Canal and, once all remaining work and the access roads have been completed, the new bridge will again connect the two communities by the shortest route from autumn 2022.

• More about the project: Lanze-Buchhorst road bridge

09.05.2022 - We are looking forward to the new planning tasks at this historically significant piece of Hamburg! The quay wall to be remediated surrounds the “Kehrwiederspitze”, the western end of the Kehrwieder island on the river Elbe. Repeated subsidence has occurred here on the traffic circulation area. The wall shows deformations, leaks and cracks. The approx. 180 m long quay wall section consists of the historic gravity wall founded on wooden piles and various partially renovated cross-sections. It also features the adjoining Niederbaumbrücke and Wilhelminenbrücke bridges as well as the jetty for fire brigade vessels. The Kehrwiederspitze has become famous beyond the borders of Hamburg. The historic harbour police station 2 is an outdoor filming location for the TV series "Notruf Hafenkante". The Kehrwiederspitze has unique prominence due to its adjacency to the Speicherstadt warehouse district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its proximity to the Elbphilharmonie concert hall.

22.04.2022 – No more pushing and shoving on the platforms. At Hamburg Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) the first new stairways have been opened for passengers. Also, there is now a new bus stop to boot.

For years, only two stairways per platform were available to the many rail passengers. Now Deutsche Bahn has provided relief. New stairways have been built on the five most heavily used above-ground platforms, leading passengers directly to the Steintorbrücke bridge. And there they can also change directly onto public transport at the newly built bus stop.

Our planning and calculations at the Steintorbrücke ensured that the stairways, each weighing 15 tonnes, could be delivered to the bridge and lifted into place with mobile cranes. The new bus stop on the bridge could also be constructed in a very short time. Thus, the new stairways were installed with only short weekend blockades on the tracks. They now provide further reliefs at Hamburg Central Station.

21.03.2022 - Something new will soon appear on the corner plot opposite the historic Hopfenmarkt. Instead of the "Blue Bridge" that has characterised the entrance to Hamburg's city centre from the west via Willy-Brandt-Strasse for decades, motorists will then notice a special office building.

The striking building, based on the winning competition design by architects Christ und Gantenbein from Basel, reflects the special urban situation and is intended to recreate the historic urban layout. The challenges of the design are not visible at first sight. As always, they lie in the details, in this case the special masonry façade. And in the subsoil: a multitude of obstacles, pipes and cables, existing foundations and old quay walls must be taken into account when planning the building pit and pile foundation.

The building application was submitted at the end of last year. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring with initial works to secure the building pit.

24.02.2022 - Together with the architects Störmer Murphy and Partners, we are pleased about the positive response to the KONRAD property and its mention in the current Jahrbuch der Architektur in Hamburg.

KONRAD is a project by ABG Real Estate Group.

The overall ensemble, consisting of the 19-storey residential tower with a height of approx. 58 metres and the adjoining lower hotel wing, has been marking the eastern entrance to Hamburg's inner city for three years.

The high-rise building, with its sloping balconies, cantilevers for almost six metres above the ground floor on the side facing Adenauerallee - a challenge for the structural engineering.

• More about the project: Konrad - residential tower and hotel

16.02.2022 - Hamburg's Oberhafenhallen are featured in the current volume of Architektur in Hamburg 2021/22. The Oberhafenhallen cultural and creative centre, with its living history, forms within the HafenCity Hamburg a unique counterpoint  to the otherwise predominant new urban development concept. The first construction phase has already been completed. The second construction phase is currently in the planning stage. We have been commissioned with the exciting task of structural engineering for the upgrading of the Oberhafenhallen.

The structures of the halls offer a broad and challenging field of activity for us as engineers. Damaged during the Second World War, the halls were rebuilt after the end of the war. They combine the most diverse engineering construction methods such as masonry, reinforced concrete, steel and timber construction. The halls have been rebuilt again and again during their more than 70 years of existence and thus tell a great story about the history of the quarter.

24.01.2022 – Almost all tenants have now moved into the completely refurbished spaces on Ballindamm. Both the cleaned natural stone façades facing the Inner Alster and Gertrudenstraße and the newly tiled façade facing Ferdinandstraße now shine again in their former glory.

In an aging office building in Hamburg's most sought-after city centre location directly on the Inner Alster, Quest Investment Partners has developed new and contemporary office and retail spaces.

In contrast to the "demolish and rebuild" approach that was often used in the past, it was possible here to preserve the load-bearing building fabric almost entirely and thus significantly reduce the ecological footprint of the building. We, together with the client, are pleased about the very successful revitalisation of this special property, where a multitude of unplanned and also surprising findings during planning and construction required action, sometimes at extremely short notice.

01.11.2021 – Hamburg has bid farewell to a controversial landmark. Since 1982, the Cremon Bridge has connected the two side streets Deichstraße and Holzbrücke with Hopfenmarkt in the city centre. It carried pedestrians over three flights of stairs with escalators across the busy Willy-Brandt-Straße. Despite its interesting and very special construction, it was also an expression of the brutalism of the 1960s to 1980s. Many regarded it as an eyesore.

For the demolition, we worked out a concept for rapid dismantling without major traffic restrictions. Under the eyes of many Hamburg passers-by, the bridge was cut into several segments by a special company, lifted out with the help of two mobile cranes and loaded onto heavy goods vehicles for removal. 48 hours later, the road traffic was flowing again. By the turn of the year, the remaining foundations will also be dismantled in such a way that road traffic is only marginally restricted.

17.09.2021 - The JAZZ-HALL for Hamburg's up-and-coming jazz talent has been officially opened. Thanks to a generous grant, a new underground concert hall has been built for Hamburg's young jazz musicians at the University of Music and Theatre (HfMT).

Under the earth-covered roof construction as an elliptical arch shell in reinforced concrete in the former underground car park area, the interior sparkles in blue-golden hues. And the music will also sparkle. It can be performed with optimal acoustics in the quasi-subterranean hall thanks to the arrangement of curved wooden ribs under the supporting structure. In addition, the opening of the façade towards the park and the Outer Alster provides the opportunity for open-air concerts.

Together with the client, the user and the architects, we are looking forward to many fine concerts, which we hope will soon become possible with the full permissible number of spectators.

10.09.2021 - Today, the topping-out ceremony for the Warburg-Ensemble was celebrated on Warburgstraße in Hamburg! The renovation work is in full swing, and the nine historic buildings are already beginning to shine in new splendour.

The 19th century building complex invites the observer to peer into the history and architecture of the townhouses, but at the same time also to see into their future as a place for shaping social change. Up to 35 scientists will soon live and work in Hamburg's new think tank. Their challenge is to find concrete solutions for the most pressing challenges of our time, at the interface of economy, ecology and democracy.

For us, the challenge is to bring the structure of "The New Institut" up to state-of-the-art in harmony with the existing building and the preservation of historical monuments, with new lifts, stairs, balconies, ceilings, extensions, the lowering of floors, underpinning of foundations and much more. An exciting task.

19.08.2021 – The well-known Hamburg entrepreneur Eugen Block celebrated the topping-out ceremony today as investor, together with the builders and planners, for a new residential quarter between Hufnerstraße and the Osterbek Canal in Hamburg's Barmbek district.

The shell construction for a total of 132 rental apartments – 40 of which are publicly subsidised – and an underground garage with 77 parking spaces is almost complete.

The welcoming speeches emphasised the special significance of the building site for the investor Eugen Block. In 1975, the first headquarters of his company Block House was built there. Now the first tenants will soon move into new, highly standardised apartments on the site.

The building, with a total area of 10,000 square metres of living and usable space, is scheduled for completion in autumn next year.

05.07.2021 – New harbour mobile crane arrives at Brügger Ufer in Hamburg.

Rhenus Midgard Hamburg GmbH purchased a new LHM 420 harbour mobile crane from Liebherr for the Dradenau terminal in Hamburg. The harbour mobile crane was delivered by water from Rostock and unloaded onto the quay at Brügger Ufer as planned.

In an exciting action, the harbour mobile crane moved from the transport ship to the quay wall under its own power. The transport ship had to be constantly re-ballasted to ensure the safe lowering of the harbour mobile crane. Due to the tide, only a short time window was available for this.

INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES was commissioned with the structural engineering services for the recalculation of the existing quay wall at Brügger Ufer. We are pleased that we were able to contribute to the fact that the harbour mobile crane has now arrived at its new location.

25.06.2021 - We are pleased to have won two new civil engineering planning contracts!

The “Regionaltangente West” (RTW) is a new tangential rail link to improve local public transport in the Frankfurt am Main area. The RTW creates a new connection between the western parts of the city and the surrounding districts, towns and cities, and with Frankfurt Airport.

The modern dual-system rail vehicles can be used on both conventional railways and lines in urban areas and will serve a total of 26 stations on two new lines with a total length of about 50 km. Current plans envisage that construction will begin soon, with commissioning taking place in 2026/2027.

INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES has now been commissioned with the engineering services for the object and structural design of two engineering structures: a tunnel under the complex railway infrastructure at Höchst station and an overbridge carrying the 4-lane B40 with a gallery structure.

24.06.2021 – We are pleased to have been commissioned with the planning!

The Alster is canalised in the area between the Hindenburg Straße and Alsterdorfer Damm bridges. The bank wall of the approx. 500 m long section was built more than 100 years ago and is now a protected structure. It consists of an unreinforced concrete wall faced with granite cyclopean masonry. The bank wall is founded on inclined wooden piles. Below water level, it is enclosed with a wooden sheet pile wall.

The historic bank wall has exceeded its technical life span and needs to be renovated. The old and unique splendour of the Alster canals is to be preserved in the process. The planning is being carried out in a pilot project using the BIM method.

• More about this pilot project on BIM.Hamburg (in German)

18.06.2021 – HafenCity's largest square has been completed and officially opened by Hamburg's Mayor. It is well worth a visit!

With its slightly sloping situation, Amerigo-Vespucci-Platz offers a wide view from the Elbbrücken quarter over the Baakenhafen and Baakenpark. The neighbourhood is still growing all around, but the square already offers a wide variety of spaces for communication, leisure and recreation on an area of almost 10,000 square metres.

The open spaces were designed and planned by landscape architects Atelier LOIDL. The result is impressive. Sophisticated civil engineering, hidden and beautifully camouflaged under green islands and brick surfaces, secures and gives access to the various levels of the square, from the quayside promenade to the higher built urban spaces - even at high tide.

• Video: Drone flight over Amerigo-Vespucci-Platz

18.06.2021 – Last Friday was the topping-out ceremony! The building start for the extension to the HFBK University of Fine Arts Hamburg (Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg) was in April 2020 .

In addition to the builders and planners, the invited guests also included students at the HFBK as well as the HFBK President Mr Köttering, the Managing Director of Sprinkenhof GmbH Mr Zunke, and the Deputy Mayor Mrs Fegebank.

After the speeches and the ceremonial address, the guests were able to view the freshly completed noble building shell. This will provide the students with atelier spaces in the upper storeys as well as additional presentation rooms on the ground floor. In coordination with structural engineering, the auxiliary supports under the ceilings could be removed in advance so that the wide-span ribbed ceilings could be admired to their full extent. We wish the presidium, and especially the students, much joy with their new atelier and exhibition rooms.

21.05.2021 - The old bridge has gone. A new bridge is coming.

For a hundred years, the two communities of Lanze and Buchhorst were linked by a red steel lattice framework bridge over the Elbe-Lübeck Canal. A month ago, the 40-ton bridge was removed in the course of canal widening.

It was lifted out with a heavy-duty crane and, in less than 15 minutes, swung to the western bank where it was deposited. It was then dismantled on site and will now find its final resting place in a blast furnace.

For many years, the old bridge formed a bottleneck for shipping on the canal. The replacement bridge construction will provide the clearance height of 5.25 m required for double-stack container traffic. From the middle of 2022, the new road bridge will join the two communities together again by the shortest route.

• More about the project: Lanze-Buchhorst road bridge

29.04.2021 – Together with the architects Hillmer und Richter Architekten, we are delighted to have won first prize for the urban rail station at Stadtkrone Ost! The City of Dortmund has decided to upgrade the Stadtbahn (urban rail) line U 47 along the B1 highway leading outwards from the city, and it launched a supra-regional architectural competition for this purpose.

Our design for the platform roof highlights a sharply edged formation, especially when viewed from the platform. Our concept: two identical canopies facing each other. The four flat triangular surfaces on their underside grow out of the geometry of the pillar. A very slender load-bearing steel structure is invisibly integrated into the form-giving roof surfaces and secures the 10-metre free projection. A trapezoidal opening in the region of the cantilever allows space for the trees that stand on the platform. The pillar carries the roof drainage on the inside and is securely clamped into a single foundation at its foot.

13.04.2021 - We are pleased to announce a new planning commission!

As part of its Hafenpark Quartier development in Frankfurt am Main, the Hamburg-based B&L Group is planning a 17-storey office building on the Hanauer Landstrasse that will form the highlight of the new quarter. On a site of some 12,300 m², the development will have a gross overground floor area of over 60,000 m², divided between 31,400 m² in the high-rise office building and 28,800 m² in the atrium building. In addition, a garage with over 800 parking spaces in three basement levels will be executed for the Quartier.

In a competition, the winning design was created by the architect’s office of Meixner Schlüter Wendt Architekten. INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES has now been commissioned for the structural engineering services.

14.01.2021 - The jury for the BDA Hamburg Architecture Prize 2020 has decided: The new residential and commercial building on Schulterblatt wins the first prize!

The jury said in its judgement: Here, where the windows shook on every night of rioting in Hamburg, there now stands a residential and commercial building that both absorbs the founding spirit of its built neighbourhood as well as its structure, and creatively reflects the liveliness of the Schanzenviertel. A slender “scaffolding” of concrete beams and columns, in which large, bright wooden windows, loggias and a terrace in the recess create sculptural depth, combine logically with the context on all sides. Discreetly artistically refined by vertical concrete hatching with cheeky grained zig-zag graphics, however, the waywardness of the genius loci is also matched. Now the house itself makes a riot, in a good sense.

• Further prize-winning structures, in the creation of which we could participate.

30.11.2020 - Renovation in Warburgstraße on Hamburg’s Inner Alster: the row of houses in Warburgstraße, listed as a historical monument, has a long history. The houses were erected from 1860 as the first construction outside the mediaeval city fortifications.

Now, a new era will begin. Work will shortly start on the building shell for the renovation of the building ensemble for residential and institutional use with office spaces for Hamburg’s new platform for change, "THE NEW INSTITUTE".

INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES is responsible for the structural engineering.

11.11.2020 – The foundation stone has been laid. On 22.10.2020, the stone laying for the new Deutschlandhaus was carried out in a formal ceremony in the presence of Senator Dr. Dorothee Stapelfeldt. Here, at a very prominent location in Gänsemarkt, at the western entrance to Hamburg’s inner city, building owner ABG is constructing a modern office and residential building adapted to today’s requirement for flexible and diverse uses.

In the various speeches at the stone-laying ceremony, the history of the old Deutschlandhaus was once again extensively acknowledged. But now, the future is coming to Gänsemarkt! Expectations for the new building, which was approved after intensive discussion also in the public arena, are high. And they are also confirmed by the published photorealistic renderings of the complete building, and especially of the atrium with its filigree roof construction.

06.11.2020 – The bridges in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt (warehouse district) are to undergo a maintenance programme.

The warehouse district is a jewel case – full of historic steel bridges on timber piles from the 19th century. We have already carefully renewed some of these bridges – such as the Wandbereiter Bridge, the Wilhelminen Bridge and the Niederbaum Bridge – and adapted them for today’s requirements.

A programme of remediation is currently being produced, to determine a sequence of maintenance works for all the listed bridges of the Speicherstadt in the coming years.

14.10.2020 – The lowest point has been reached.

The works for securing the building pit and demolition of the existing Deutschlandhaus structure are almost complete.

Now, the real new construction can begin with the production of the foundation base.

The first of three cranes will be installed shortly. These will characterise the building site on Hamburg’s Gänsemarkt for the next three years.

21.09.2020 - The Elbkinder (an association of Hamburg children’s day-care centres) will acquire a new multifunctional building with space for the administration, a new training centre and a kindergarten. The preliminary planning for this building has recently been successfully completed.

As well as the high architectural demands of the administration areas, e.g. for the generous entrance foyer, variants have been developed for a hall on the ground floor for up to 400 persons.

Great appreciation has been shown for the light timber construction with diamond shaped meshes, adapting to the geometrical constraints of the hall and translating them into a visually appealing structure. Now it will be a question of converting the planning into a concrete design.

29.09.2020 - The building works in Jenfelder Au, on the east side of Hamburg, are finished. A total of 72 apartments have been erected on a former area of wasteland, based on a highly segmented architectural design. A special feature was that, in the exclusive option period for the site, the building owner had to commit himself to providing a sustainable fresh and wastewater concept in close cooperation with the local authorities, including the special baths required for this.

The load-bearing construction – really based on a simple remit of “residential apartments over an underground car park” – demanded, on account of the very strict building segmentation, various special solutions also in the residential storeys.

Despite the challenges of the complex construction task and the effects in connection with the COVID 19 pandemic, the building works were largely completed without disruption.

17.09.2020 – The crane is now in action, and the basement level is already complete. The execution of building work for the extension of the University of Fine Arts is making great strides forward. Construction started in April.

Under construction here is an apparently simple building with studio rooms for the students. But the challenge of the design lies in the details. The geometry of the brick facade and the dimensions of the brickwork determine every other dimension in the building.

The architect has set a high design standard for the new University of Fine Arts building. In collaboration with WINKING FROH ARCHITEKTEN, the INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES has developed a special structure.

27.08.2018 – After a building phase lasting nearly two years, the final cement has now been poured. The building shell for 218 new apartments and numerous social facilities is finished. A key building block has thus been created for the development of the new residential quarter in Willy-Brandt-Allee in Messestadt Riem, the exhibition district to the east of Munich.

Alongside the structural engineering, we were also involved right through to the end with our on-site engineering inspections. We were thus able to make our contribution to the success of the building project.

Naturally, the whole thing was celebrated with a topping-out, which on this occasion was a little bit different. Read more about it here.

• More on the project: Riem Ost Quarter

17.08.2020 - Hamburg Heights (revitalisation of SPIEGEL Island) is awarded first prize in the "polis award" urban development prize in the category "intelligent urban consolidation"!

The jury determined that here, through conservational remediation and supplementary new construction of hotels and apartments, a monofunctional office quarter from the 1960s has been upgraded into a mixed-use, urban ensemble that revives an important district of Hamburg’s historic city centre and creates new pathway connections. More...

More on the project: Height 1: Former SPIEGEL building  Height 2: Kallmorgen Tower - Former IBM building  Height 3: New Adina Hotel

• More Award Winning Buildings

21.07.2020 – In the ageing building ensemble directly on the Inner Alster, in Hamburg’s most highly desirable inner-city location, Quest Investment Partners is developing the Kontorhaus Ballindamm with contemporary office and commercial spaces. Meanwhile, numerous rental contracts for the renovated office spaces have already been signed.

In addition to the planning challenges imposed by the existing building, the wishes of the future tenants have also had to be considered and integrated into the tightly-scheduled building process. With the exception of the partly two-storey addition, the building shell works are well advanced. On some of the storeys, work on fitting-out and the installation of building services has already begun. The handover of the renovated spaces to their new users will start as planned at the beginning of 2021.

20.07.2020 - The shell of the new building in Hamburg’s university quarter, with its total of five storeys and striking form, has been completed according to plan and with no delays.

The architects’ design took account of the constraints on all sides imposed by the restricted site situation with the need to maintain clearances to the adjacent neighbouring buildings, and the high demands of the innovative apartment floor plans. The structural engineering delivered a customised construction for the spatial load-bearing structure.

The statics calculations for the building, pile foundation and building pit including the formwork and reinforcement plans, as well as the physical construction verifications, were performed by INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES.

20.07.2020 – The trains are not moving at Jungfernstieg – but the work contines at full speed. Subway line U1 between the stations at Stephansplatz and Hauptbahnhof Süd has been closed since 8 June. This temporary closure has been made necessary by the barrier-free reconstruction and modernisation of the stations at Steinstraße and Jungfernstieg.

The first trains will run again on 13 August. The final completion of Jungfernstieg station, including the commissioning of the new lift, will take place in the summer of 2021.

12.06.2020 - Hamburg Heights (revitalisation of SPIEGEL Island) has been nominated for the "polis award" urban development prize in the category "intelligent urban consolidation"!

The jury determined that here, through conservational remediation and supplementary new construction of hotels and apartments, a monofunctional office quarter from the 1960s has been upgraded into a mixed-use, urban ensemble that revives an important district of Hamburg’s historic city centre and creates new pathway connections. More from the polis award jury...

• More: Height 1 - Remediation Former SPIEGEL building
• More: Height 2 - Kallmorgen Tower - Remediation Former IBM building
• More: Height 3 - New Adina Hotel

07.05.2020 - The children’s care centre in Tübingen has been extended.

For the care of children with cancer and their parents, an extension of the floor area was urgently required. This was executed as an addition to the existing building in a lightweight timber construction.

By using this form of construction, a strengthening of the existing structure and interventions with usage restrictions could be avoided.

Architect: Springmann Architektur GmbH. Structural engineering: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES.

08.04.2020 – Building work on the underground JAZZ-LABOR has started.

The topping out ceremony for the JAZZ-HALL, the new underground concert hall on the Outer Alster, was held at the beginning of this year. But naturally, an essential basis for the ability to hold concerts there at all is a sufficient number of modern practice rooms for the future artistes at the University of Music and Theatre (HfMT).

The practice rooms for the young jazz musicians are now being built underground, between two existing structures and not visible from the Outer Alster.

Architect: MPP Meding Plan + Projekt GmbH. Structural engineering: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES.

06.04.2020 – The works to secure the building pit for the construction of the new Deutschlandhaus are running according to plan. A total of four large drilling machines will be deployed. The bore pile wall surrounding the entire site will soon be ready, and then the excavation works for the deep building pit will begin.

The history of the old Deutschlandhaus, in its very prominent position in Hamburg’s Gänsemarkt, is impressive. But an appropriate modern and economic usage of the spaces in the existing building was no longer possible. Therefore, after intensive discussions and consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of retaining the existing building, the decision was taken to demolish it and construct a new building.

03.04.2020 – Construction start: The University of Fine Arts Hamburg (HFBK) at Lerchenfeld will now acquire its long-needed additional spaces for teaching and art education.

An architectural competition was won by the design from architects Winking Froh with a simple brick faced rectangular solid.

But the devil in the design –  and the challenge for the structural engineers – is in the detail. The geometry of the brick facade and the dimensions of the brickwork determine every other dimension in the building.

The construction work will now begin with the securing of the building pit.

25.03.2020 – Following the demolition work and the completion of the large-scale building pit, work has started on the building shell for a modern office building at Kapstadtring 5. Meanwhile with the upcoming completion of the second basement, the layout of the building is already taking shape.

The planning concept envisages three building sections, varying in height from 30 to 60 metres. The facade will be designed in classic style with continuous windows, and will thus merge reticently into the City Nord ensemble with among others a total of five listed buildings.

Architect: Barkow Leibinger Architekten. Structural Engineering: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES.

28.02.2020 – After a planning period of only 6 months, the works for the production of the deep foundations for the new Hall 210 at the AIRBUS site in Hamburg Finkenwerder have begun.

For the hangar, with two aircraft bays, some 350 full displacement bore piles will be installed into the building site of the former "Mühlenberger Loch" in the next few weeks. After this, the reinforced concrete hall floor, measuring around 110 m x 70 m, will be laid down on it. Completion of the c. 20 m high steel hall structure and the two-storey office extension is anticipated for December 2020.

Architect: Reinhard Hagemann Architekten. Structural engineering: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES

13.02.2020 - Hamburg's famous fish market (Fischmarkt) flooded on Wednesday once again after storm Sabine caused river Elbe water levels to rise by 2.76 meters above "Mean High Water" level.

The swells are caused by the energy from the storm that followed in the wake of Sabine that has pushed the water against the coast. Such high tides however, are a routine occurrence in Hamburg, and therefore no major damage was done. At all events it is comforting to know that the flood protection barriers in Hamburg - also at the Fish Market - are designed to cope with much higher water levels ...

• More: Flood Protection at Fish Market and Hafenstraße
• More: Flood Protection Polder Neumühlen
• More: Flood Protection Niederhafen - Elbpromenade

03.02.2020 – Following the detailed commendation of the work of the designing architects on the building project for the revitalisation of the so-called SPIEGEL-Insel (SPIEGEL Island) in the architectural yearbook for 2020 published by the Hamburg Chamber of Architects, all the engineers involved with the project can now also take pleasure in the publication of the project in the civil engineering yearbook "Jahrbuch der Ingenieurbaukunst 2020".

The entry confirms the pathbreaking nature of the remediation of this architectural icon in terms of structural engineering, façade planning and the demands of building physics. In the truest sense a "revitalisation at the highest level", with due regard to the historical significance of the building.

• More on the Height 1 project

31.01.2020 - The article about the new dm headquarters in Karlsruhe that recently appeared in BAUWELT is now also available online.

It reports on the special remit for the planning of the new central administrative building of the dm drug store chain, and the outstanding plan design by architects Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei from Stuttgart. The aim was to create a “different kind of office building”. The article is supplemented by many attractive photos of the building, which has meanwhile been completed.

• BAUWELT article (in German) as web page as PDF
• Post on instagram
• More: Our project presentation: new dm head office

29.01.2020 - The building works for the infrastructure of the new people-mover system (passenger transport system - PTS) at Frankfurt Airport are in full swing.

The new line will link the northbound existing terminals 1 and 2 including the attached rail-way stations to the planned new terminal 3 in the south of the airport. Opening of the complete system is slated for 2023.

The northern section of this PTS has to be placed on elevated level right above of existing structures and operating areas. The planning services for this section are provided by our company, INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES.

• New Video (YouTube): Animation of the new People-Mover-System

24.01.2020 - Today, the topping-out ceremony will take place for a new concert hall on the Outer Alster: The JAZZ HALL.

Thanks to a generous grant, Hamburg’s young jazz musicians at the University of Music and Theatre (HfMT) will soon be performing in a new underground concert hall. But the clever arrangement of the new hall within the site will also make it possible to hold open-air concerts. Expectations are high!

For us, as structural engineers, it presented a special challenge. We developed an unusual structural concept that was designed to meet all the demands of the building owner, the user and the architect.

10.01.2020 – According to the wishes of its owner, the existing five-storey building behind Hamburg’s Staatsoper – currently in use as offices – should have been simply raised by adding four extra storeys and repurposed as a noble boutique hotel situated directly in the inner city.

However, on inspection of the existing building and comparison with the existing documentation, some unpleasant facts came to light such as e.g. substantially shallower or even completely missing foundations, inadequately load-bearing brickwork piers on all floors, rusted ceiling beams, sagging and swaying floors. After very intensive discussions, the planning now implements a rebuilding as an economical reinforced concrete construction on a new foundation with an unchanged ground plan. The works at the auxiliary scaffolding to safeguard the street-facing facade have started.

10.12.2019 – Today, together the building owners and many scientists,  a large number of political and business representatives also attended the topping-out ceremony for the new Centre for X-Ray and Nano Science (CXNS) in Hamburg’s Bahrenfeld district.

From 2021 onwards, scientists from DESY, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG) and the Christian Albrecht University of Kiel (CAU) will carry out transnational research in the fields of x-ray, nano and materials sciences in over 5,000 sqm of high-tech laboratories in the new building.

Ingenieurbüro Dr. Binnewies has been commissioned with the structural engineering – from inception through to execution planning – for this technically demanding building.

09.12.2019 – Whether for Hamburg natives, tourists or ship passengers, Dockland, on the fringe of Altona’s harbour between the Norderelbe and Fischereihafen, with its simple, concise form, is an eye-catcher between water and land. This, at any rate, is how the magazine "Stahlbau" and the online magazine "Momentum" describe it in an article (in German) that recently appeared in the series "Einen Besuch wert" (worth a visit).

And the article continues: Dockland is worth a visit because, here, the foundation, structure and facade demanded superlative technical performance, producing a building worthy of a place in the tourist guidebook. And by the way, visitors can experience the ocean liner feeling on a platform over the Elbe via the exterior staircase or the inclined elevators.

26.11.2019 - The Kiel-Holtenau Small Lock will be renewed. We are very pleased to have been commissioned by the Waterway Construction Authority in Magdeburg for static and structural testing, fire protection testing and technical equipment testing. We are looking forward to good cooperation with all those involved!

The Small Lock, which was brought into use in 1895 – together with the Big Lock – permits access for shipping from the Baltic Sea to the very busy Kiel Canal. In 2014, the Small Lock was closed to shipping on account of stability issues. It is to be replaced by a new structure at the same location. This, like the existing structure, is designed as a dual lock with a working length of 155 metres for a depth of up to 8.50 metres.

25.11.2019 – After a construction period of less than a year, the Haspa (Hamburger Sparkasse) bank branch in Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel has re-opened for business in new offices at its former position on the corner of Schulterblatt and Juliusstraße.
Here, on a tightly confined site restricted on all sides by adjacent existing buildings, a modern structure with a reinforced concrete skeleton has emerged. In addition to the Haspa branch office areas, four subsidised housing units have also been planned in the two upper storeys.
For its façade, in close coordination with the local advisory council, the architects have produced an artistically designed exposed concrete construction with generously dimensioned wooden windows, setting a new tone in this colourful district and acting as a highlight for Hamburg’s famous street corner.

08.11.2019 – In the ageing building ensemble at Ballindamm 17 in Hamburg, QUEST Investment Partners is developing the Ballinhof with contemporary office and commercial spaces in a highly desirable inner city location.

Following the completion of gutting work and the granting of building permission, the reinforced concrete and steel structural works have now started. But considerable deviations from the existing documentation were also discovered, involving substantial adjustments to the planning in certain areas! These included previous and undocumented alteration works as well as considerably weakened parts of the construction in some places. But in spite of these surprising discoveries and the unplanned additional expenditures, the handover of the renovated spaces to their new users is still scheduled for the year 2021.

28.10.2019 – The demolition of the above-ground parts of the old Deutschlandhaus has been completed on schedule. Now, the next heavy machinery has been brought to the site to produce the watertight shoring to protect the building pit which reaches a depth of up to ten metres. This work will start at the beginning of November.

The history of the old Deutschlandhaus, in its very prominent position on Hamburg’s Gänsemarkt, is impressive. But an appropriate modern and economic usage of the spaces in the existing building was no longer possible. Therefore, after intensive discussions and consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of the retention of the existing building, the decision was taken to demolish it and construct a new building.

25.10.2019 – Yesterday, the Architects and Engineers Association Hamburg (AIV) presented the winners of the 2018 AIV Building of the Year Awards. Three projects in the Hanseatic City were awarded.

This included the luxury hotel The Fontenay on the Outer Alster, to which the INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES was able to make significant contributions as structural engineer. The specifics of the building are, among other things, the unusual design and the special architecture.

• More: Laudation (German)
• More on the project: Hotel The Fontenay
• More Award Winning Buildings

15.10.2019 – Hannoversche Straße at Hamburg-Harburg railway station is fully open once again. After a building phase of 21 months, the newly built road bridge was opened to traffic on 2 October.

In addition to the erection of the new bridge structure, built as an integral structure with prefabricated components, the lengthening of the road embankment by approx. 50 metres as well as extensive road-building works were also required.

The current temporary pedestrian bridge over the railway lines has now been removed, and Hannoversche Straße is open again for all road users as far as its crossing with Buxtehuder Straße.

07.10.2019 – We are delighted at the start of planning for an exciting and complex building project on the River Elbe waterfront in Neumühlen!

The quay wall along the Elbpromenade between Elbstrand (Elbe beach) and Dockland, beside the buildings of the so-called "Perlenkette" (pearl necklace), needs thoroughgoing remediation and renewal for a length of approx. 200 metres. Here, the existing sheet pile wall has partly become deformed by more than a metre from its original position. This has led to subsidence in the area of the promenade, and as a result the area has had to be sealed off.

Many constraints will need to be considered in the planning for the new waterfront structure. These include in particular the impact on existing buildings and the Hamburg Port Authority’s tugboat station.

27.06.2019 – Last Thursday, at Aurubis AG in Hamburg’s Veddel district, the new "Road Bridge 4" – planned by us – was slid into place over the Müggenburger Canal. Soon, many thousands of heavily-laden trucks will roll over the bridge on their way through the copper manufacturer’s factory site.

Firstly the steel bowstring bridge was almost completely pre-assembled on the southern bank of the canal, in order to be then slid over the 65 metre wide canal in a one-day operation with the aid of a heavy crane, several heavy-duty trucks and a slide track. Subsequently, prefabricated concrete components will now be placed over the steel skeleton of the bridge and the road deck cemented. The bridge will be open for traffic in about one month.

• More about the project: Aurubis Road Bridge 4

24.05.2019 - The largest building projects in the HafenCity will open their gates on Sunday, 26 May 2019 and give deep insights, with tours directly to the sites and double-decker bus tours right to the edge of the building pit. The day will be rounded out with additional family programmes and hands-on activities such as helmet painting and kids’ building sites. Admittance is free! More: hafencity.com

We engineers will also be there to explain, e.g. at the future Amerigo-Vespucci-Platz, how interesting and demanding construction on water can be. In the former harbour basin, now filled in, an entirely new quarter is coming into being with an open-air area of approx. 10,000 square metres. It incorporates engineering structures that secure the changes in elevation between the promenade level and the flood-protected levels.

22.05.2019 – Building starts at a special site.

At Dillstraße 11, in Hamburg’s desirable university quarter, severe restrictions have regularly caused previous building projects to fail: the tightly-constricted location; the maintenance of clearances to the neighbouring buildings; the impediments of the site.

With a newly-created design for a new building with a total of five storeys, the restrictions on all sides have now been cleverly translated into a geometrical form. The work to produce the building pit started at the beginning of May.

Structural engineering for the building, pile foundation and building pit, physical construction verifications: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES. Architect: grasp architecture.

02.05.2019 – In good time for the Hafengeburtstag (Hamburg’s annual harbour birthday), the Überseerestaurant, erected by Sprinkenhof GmbH, was inaugurated with a small advanced celebration. The new building is integrated into the new flood protection facility which stretches from the underground railway station at Baumwall to the piers at Landungsbrücken, Hamburg’s most beautiful spot.

Now it is again possible to take a relaxed stroll directly beside the River Elbe along this technical structure, built to secure the inner city against flooding. One can then stop for a bite in the new restaurant, operated by the ALEX Group. Decisive for the design of the new building is the nearly 15-metre-long projection of the slender building, faced with black brickwork, and the fully glazed southern facade with its view of the unforgettable panorama of the Port of Hamburg.

30.04.2019 - The Hamburger Sparkasse bank (Haspa) has held a topping-out ceremony for the seven-storey new building at the corner of Schulterblatt and Juliusstraße! The old Haspa branch was devastated during the G-20 summit meeting. Now, after a very short construction period and on a narrowly-confined site restricted on all sides by adjacent existing buildings, a reinforced concrete skeleton has emerged here which Haspa will use for its own new branch on the ground floor. It is intended to provide subsidised housing in the two upper storeys. By agreement with the local advisory council, the new building is being provided with an artistically-designed façade of prefabricated reinforced concrete elements, which will set a new tone in this colourful district and act as a highlight for Hamburg’s famous street corner.

29.04.2019 - Today, Fraport AG laid the cornerstone for Frankfurt Airport’s new Terminal 3, one of Europe’s largest privately financed infrastructure projects.

Terminal 3’s Pier G, with capacity for up to five million passengers, will be completed by 2021 in the southern part of Frankfurt Airport. This modern facility will later be integrated into the Terminal 3 building. The plans call for the main terminal building, along with Piers H and J, to be completed in 2023. As a result, the airport will then be able to handle up to 21 million more passengers than now. Anew people-mover system (passenger transport system - PTS) will link the northbound existing terminals 1 and 2 including the attached rail-way stations to the planned new terminal 3 in the south of the airport.

• More: News Release Fraport AG

25.04.2019 - Today the topping-out ceremony was held in glorious sunshine at the Domplatz in Hamburg!

The building shell is almost completed now. Generous and well-lit workplaces will be created here on nine storeys with a floor area of 32 to 47 metres. This is made possible by a slender structure consisting of flat floor slabs with wide spans and few pillars.

In order to provide sufficient parking spaces, parts of the outer walls and the complete outriggers of the building were retained via massive downward beams.

• More on the project: Haus am Domplatz
• www.hausamdomplatz.de

15.03.2019 – With approval from the authorities having been obtained, demolition of the existing building can start very soon. The new construction is expected to start at the turn of the year.

A modern and economically-viable usage of the floor areas in the existing Deutschlandhaus was no longer possible. After intensive discussions – also with public involvement – and lengthy consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of retaining the existing building with its associated history, the decision was finally taken to demolish and rebuild it. And the rebuilding of the Deutschlandhaus is – in the truest sense of the word – not straightforward. More soon ... Architect: HADI TEHERANI ARCHITECTS - Structural engineering: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES

08.03.2019 – After complete gutting down to the shell, the renovation works are about to start. In a prime inner-city location, new and modern office and commercial spaces will come into being in the aged and outdated ensemble at Ballindamm 17.

While taking into account the strict requirements of historical building conservation, new lifts will be installed, the building services completely renewed and the accessibility of the ground floor from the street in Ballindamm improved by lowering the floor. On levels 5 and 6, after removal of the two existing storeys they will be replaced in an adapted form by a new steel and aerated concrete structure in lightweight construction.

• More on the project Ballinhof

07.01.2019 – The work on the building shell of the new office and workshop section "Haus 76" at AIRBUS in Finkenwerder was already completed before the end of last year. Now the roof is also in place.

It is anticipated that the remaining work will also be finished in May 2019. Then the AIRBUS workers on the A320 assembly line in Hamburg Finkenwerder will have a modern reinforced concrete building at their disposal which meets all the requirements of a contemporary working environment. For growing demands, the structure has already been designed for the optional addition of two further storeys.

Architect: Reinhard Hagemann Architekten. Structural engineering: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES

17.12.2018 – The demolition work at Kapstadtring 5 has started. The existing six-storey building dating from 1979 is no longer in keeping with the times and will be replaced by a modern office building. The new construction is expected to start in 2019.

The planning concept envisages three building sections, varying in height from 30 to 60 metres. The facade will be designed in classic style with continuous windows, and will thus merge reticently into the City Nord ensemble with among others a total of five listed buildings.

Architect: Barkow Leibinger Architekten. Structural Engineering: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES.

06.12.2018 - BDA Architecture Prize 2018: We congratulate the prize winners, and we are delighted to have been able to make our contribution as structural engineers to the success of some of the award-winning structures.

As well as a second prize for the project "Alsterufer 1-3", these also include the jury’s official commendations for the projects such as the new "Esplace", the listed "Finnlandhaus", the 5-Star-Hotel "The Fontenay" and the former SPIEGEL-Building "Height 1".

• More: Award Winning Buildings

09.11.2018 – The new edition of the yearbook “Architektur in Hamburg 2018/19” has now appeared.

It includes the luxury hotel The Fontenay on the Outer Alster. The building is presented with its unusual design and special architecture. The recently-completed transformation of SPIEGEL Island into "Hamburg Heights" is also described.

• More on the project The Fontenay
• More on the projects Hamburg Heights:  Height 1  Height 2  Height 3
• Link to the yearbook at www.junius-verlag.de

05.11.2018 - We are delighted to have been commissioned with a new planning order for the construction of a replacement for the Finkenwerder Bridge.

The bridge, dating from 1970, is situated in the western part of the Hamburg Port area and must be replaced by a new construction on account of damage to the existing structure.

The greatest challenge will be in the planning of the construction sequence, because interruptions to the existing transport routes – especially for rail traffic – can only be permitted for short time intervals.

25.10.2018 – As many as two DGNB awards in the "Gold" class go to the Hamburg project developer Becken:

The protected "Finnlandhaus", today the corporate headquarters of the Becken Group, and its neighbouring office building "Esplace" were yesterday given awards for their outstanding sustainability quality.

• More: Press notice by Becken Immobilien (in German)
• More on the project Renovation of Finnlandhaus
• More on the poject Esplace
• Further sustainability certificates for our structures

17.10.2018 – The three nominees have been announced. And "Height 1" is among them.

The building ensemble on the former SPIEGEL-Insel (SPIEGEL-Island) in Hamburg is complete. The two protected existing buildings from the 1960s – designed by the architect Werner Kallmorgen – have been renovated and supplemented by three further buildings on the site. The former SPIEGEL-Verlag editorial building is now called "Height 1" and was the first building to be handed over to its new user. Now the renovated structure has been nominated as one of the three best buildings for the German Sustainability Award 2019.

• More at www.nachhaltigkeitspreis.de (German)
• More on the Height 1 project

20.09.2018 – Today, Olympus Surgical Technologies Europe held the topping-out ceremony for its new campus building in Kuehnstraße, Hamburg.

Here, since the start of construction in 2017, a three-section complex of buildings has come into being, which after completion will be used for production and maintenance in medical endoscopy including space for storage and logistics. Already at the laying of the foundation stone, the then First Mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz, emphasised the innovative capacity and the importance of the new building for the Hamburg location. Now the works on the building shell are almost complete. A good reason to celebrate for the building owners and all those involved in the construction.

• More about the project: Expansion of factory premises Olympus Hamburg

07.09.2018 - Start of the building works for the infrastructure of the new people-mover system (passenger transport system - PTS) at Frankfurt Airport. The first steps inlude the clearing of the building site as well as the preparing of the site facilities. 

The new line will link the northbound existing terminals 1 and 2 including the attached rail-way stations to the planned new terminal 3 in the south of the airport. Opening of the complete system is slated for 2023. The northern section of this PTS has to be placed on elevated level right above of existing structures and operating areas. The planning services for this section are provided by our company, INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES.

• More (YouTube): Animation of the new People-Mover-System

23.08.2018 - The sheet pile walls with back-anchoring have already been completely installed. Now the reinforced concrete walls are being built up.

In Hamburg’s historic Speicherstadt (warehouse district), the reinforced concrete components are being constructed on the quay walls at Brook and Zollamt. At Brook, the first reinforced concrete section will be cemented with a height of 1.35 m. Spatially separated, the wall will then be erected to its full height. At Zollamt, the eastern connection point will be cemented, after which the concrete works will also be completed here. Subsequently the walls will be faced with brickwork and the road surface restored. The repair of the quay walls should be completed by the end of the year. The areas will then be freely accessible again.

• More: Repair of quay walls at Zollkanal

16.08.2018 - Fraport AG has received the required permit for the construction of Pier G from the building inspectorate of the city of Frankfurt. By building the new pier earlier than planned, Fraport is responding to increased passenger growth. Slated to become operational in the summer season of 2021, Pier G will initially expand FRA’s capacity by four to five million passengers.

The new pier will be built as a fully functional, state-of-the-art passenger handling facility and later integrated into FRA’s new premium Terminal 3. Pier G will excel with lean processes that enable passengers to get to their flights quickly and easily by the shortest possible paths. Architect: Christoph Mäckler Architekten, Structural Engineering: Ingenieurbüro Dr. Binnewies.

• More (www.fraport.com): News Release

26.06.2018 - How do we understand our profession as structural engineers? What is our role in collaboration with building owners, architects, and other parties? What makes a good structure?

Our lecture on 3 July at 18:00 hrs in Berlin will give insights into our projects and our working philosophy. Three selected projects in Hamburg will be presented in more detail. Our lecture concludes the lecture series "Hochbaukultur aus Deutschland - Tragwerke" (structural engineering culture in Germany – structures) at the Institute of Civil Engineering at the TU Berlin, aimed at students and all other interested persons. Admission is free without prior registration.

• More information on the time and location of the event
• 06.07.2018: Short report on the event (in German)

24.06.2018 - As part of the public lecture series "Seminar for Structural Engineering" at the Technical University of Braunschweig, we will talk (in German) about our new construction project "Konrad" situated in Hamburg.

The site in Adenauerallee, in Hamburg’s central St. Georg district, has been waiting for a new structure for many years. Now the construction works are in full swing. The complete ensemble consisting of an high-rise residential tower with 18 storeys and a four-star hotel is highlighted by the 14-storey and up to 6-metre wide projection of the residential tower towards Adenauerallee – a challenge for the structural engineers.

• More on the project: Konrad - Residential Tower and Hotel
• More on the lecture (27 June at 4:45 p.m. at the University of Braunschweig)

19.06.2018 – We invite you to a guided tour at Zollkanal in Hamburg Speicherstadt (warehouse district) where the remediation works at the historic quay walls are in full swing. Our tours start on Saturday 24 June at 12, 13, 14 and 15 hrs. Meeting point: Wandrahmstieg. All those interested are welcome.

The quay walls consist of brickwork, dams and timber pile foundations. For some 130 years, time has taken its toll of them. They have suffered deformations towards the water and depressions in the roadway. Now the quay walls at Brook and at the former customs house will be remediated with due regard to the adjacent buildings and the stringent requirements for conservation of historical monuments. Reinforced concrete components will be produced as reinforcements and faced with brickwork in order to retain the historic appearance.

18.06.2018 - 23/24 June is  "Day of Architecture and Civil Engineering 2018". We invite all those interested to join us on a guided tour to see the freshly renovated Finnlandhaus through the eyes of a structural engineer.

The building’s form of construction, dating from 1964, is unique in Hamburg. The floors are suspended upwards in the facade axes via slender steel constructions. In the uppermost storey the load of the structure is set down on the central bracing core via pre-stressed concrete trusses. In the 1960s, a bunker was integrated into the two basement storeys. It is no longer required, so that new useable floor areas could be created here.

Guided tours start on Saturday, 23 June at 10, 11, 12 hrs., Meeting point: Esplanade 41

14.06.2018 - Against the backdrop of the recently inaugurated Baakenpark, the next engineering project is coming into being. The new ramp structure at Gerda-Gmelin-Platz connects to the retaining wall, which already exists as a building shell, and ensures the barrier-free transition to the promenade at Versmannkai.

Firstly the deep foundation of bore piles and micro grouting piles is installed. Here, the narrow tracks between the numerous existing foundations in the former port area must be used – a challenge for the planners. A continuous baseplate is then cemented onto the piles. This bears the weight of the walls that are arising as well as the rest of the ramp construction. Finally, this is followed by the red brickwork cladding that is characteristic of HafenCity.

• More on the project: Engineering structures at Baakenhafen

08.06.2018 - The new living quarters on Holzhalbinsel (literally "wood peninsula") in the Rostock Stadthafen (city port) district are almost completed. The first tenants have already moved in. It is hard to imagine a more perfect residential location.

The houses are arranged around an inner courtyard on a shared, over 10,000 m² basement storey that will be used as a cellar and a garage. The building complex will be flanked on the water side by a new waterfront promenade. The building site on Holzhalbinsel is not at all normal. It consists to a large extent of landfill and building rubble. Therefore, special measures had to be taken to ensure the stability and permanence of the foundation and basement storeys.

• More on the project: Inselquartier - Living at Holzhalbinsel

07.06.2018 - The landmark former IBM building has been dismantled down to the naked building shell. The high-rise building by the architect Werner Kallmorgen was erected in 1966 and made architectural history with its facade, designed to imitate a punch card. Now, the installation of a new and modern facade, approved by the historical monument conservation authority, is nearly completed.

Prior to that, the shell was made fit – fit for the future and for a new use. This involved interventions in the structure, especially for alterations required for the renewal of lifts and building services as well as concrete remediation measures. Currently, the new office spaces are made ready for the future tenants.

• More on the project: Kallmorgen Tower - Reconstruction of former IBM Building

04.06.2018 - As part of the lecture series "Seminar for Structural Engineering", which is organised by the Institute of Statics at the University of Braunschweig, we will give a public lecture on the rebuilding project "Planetarium Hamburg".

During the approximately eighteen-month rebuilding phase of the former water tower in the Hamburg city park, the foyer level on the first floor and the plinth were extended. New spaces have been created in the plinth for refreshments, shop, events, exhibitions, offices and toilets. Access to the Planetarium is now at ground level from the Stadtpark. Additionally there are now two lifts to the star theatre and to the observation platform.

• More on the project: Rebuilding of the Hamburg Planetarium
• More on the lecture (6 June at 4:45 p.m. at the University of Braunschweig)

26.05.2018 – Topping-out ceremonies are always a special occasion. This was also confirmed by the Mayor of Hamburg in his speech, especially when such an event takes place at Hamburg’s most beautiful spot and in good – although windy – spring weather.

On the new flood protection facility, Sprinkenhof GmbH has erected a spectacular new building which from the beginning of next year will be open to all visitors and naturally also to the people of Hamburg for culinary experiences.

The signature feature of the building’s design is the nearly 15 m long projection of the narrow building in the easterly direction – although at the moment, for constructional reasons, it is still under support – and the fully glazed southern facade with what will then be an unobstructable view of the harbour panorama.

24.04.2018 – After more than 2.5 years of planning, it is ready to start. The building shell works for the new construction in Munich Riem exhibition city can begin.

To mark the start, the building owner, GEWOFAG, issued invitations to a ceremonial foundation stone laying. In beautiful weather, the first spades of sand were shovelled.

We hope such good conditions will continue for the further building works. In the course of our building shell monitoring, we will also continue to keep an eye on the progress of construction.

• More on the project: Riem Ost Quarter

26.03.2018 – To replace its former bank building on Schulterblatt which was destroyed during the G-20 summit meeting, the Hamburger Sparkasse (Haspa) is erecting a new seven-storey structure on an altogether very restricted site.

The Haspa branch will move in on the ground floor, while the first to third storeys are planned for use as offices. The two topmost storeys are intended for subsidised housing.

By agreement with the local advisory council, the new building will be provided with a special facade which will give character to Hamburg’s famous street corner from the middle of 2019.

20.03.2018 - Fraport AG has awarded the contract for the construction of the new people-mover system (passenger transport system - PTS) at Frankfurt Airport.

The new line will link the northbound existing terminals 1 and 2 including the attached rail-way stations to the planned new terminal 3 in the south of the airport. Construction work is scheduled to start in mid-2018. Opening of the complete system is slated for 2023.

The northern section of this PTS has to be placed on elevated level right above of existing structures and operating areas. The planning services for this section are provided by our company, INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES.

• More (www.fraport.com): News Release

19.03.2018 - Today the opening ceremony will take place for Hamburg’s new luxury hotel The Fontenay!

Since building began in 2014, great efforts have been made to create an exceptional hotel with all refinements. Special highlights include a gourmet restaurant and piano bar with a fantastic view over the Alster, Hamburg’s highest hotel pool with a surrounding spa area, as well as 131 hotel bedrooms and suites with the finest furnishings and equipment.

We wish the operators and guests all the best for the start!

• More on the project: Hotel The Fontenay

05.03.2018 - The investors’ and architects’ competition for the c. 230 m high Elbtower beside the Elbe bridges (Elbbrücken) has been decided.

According to a survey, Hamburg’s newspaper readers came to a somewhat different conclusion from the expert jury: they voted the design from HADI TEHERANI as the winner. Our company, INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES, was involved in the planning for this design.

The design comprises two sections of differing heights, joined by a glazed atrium, intended to represent a billowing sail. The bracing of the two slender high-rise slabs is assured by the central crossing part which forms a highly visible component of the design. The multi-storey plinth is planned to house public facilities.

01.03.2018 – In connection with the excavation works for the building pit at Domplatz (cathedral square) archaeologists have discovered traces of a settlement dating from Hamburg’s early history.

These include old timber pile foundations, historic toilets and remains of the so-called Heidenwall. The building site area is situated immediately adjacent to the old Hammaburg. The excavation works were continued in spite of snow, ice and freezing cold. In the planning of the "Haus am Domplatz" building project, a time window for an archaeological dig had been foresightedly built in to the timetable.

• Hamburger Abendblatt on the archaeological finds (German)
• More on the building project: Haus am Domplatz

26.02.2018 - Last weekend, parts of the existing bridge carrying Hannoversche Straße over the railway in the vicinity of Hamburg-Harburg station were demolished.

The 73-metre-long bridge was built in 1956 as a pre-stressed concrete bridge in what was then still a new form of construction.

In a 55-hour blockade of the railway line towards Cuxhaven, space was created for a modern new structure. Now, in the next 14 months, the new bridge and the adjoining road embankment will be constructed. Hannoversche Straße will be open for traffic again in the second quarter of 2019.

22.02.2018 - The first 60 metre sheet pile wall on the quay wall at Brook is being installed.

The quay wall, situated in front of the warehouse “Speicher H”, dates from the last years of the 19th century. As a result of flooding, the quay wall was so badly deformed towards the water that it had to be partially demolished in order to prevent further damage.

Now the remediation works are in full swing. Currently the sloping sheet pile walls are being installed. After that, the micro piles, reinforced concrete wall and brickwork facings will be produced. The works will be completed by the end of 2018. Then the area will become available again for all to use.

• More: Repair of quay walls at Zollkanal

16.02.2018 - With a ground-breaking ceremony by Hamburg’s Mayor Olaf Scholz, building work officially began today on the new U-Bahn (subway) station at Oldenfelde. It will be ready at the end of 2019.

Together with the stations at Farmsen and Berne, the new station located between them will offer the 4,500 residents of the districts of Farmsen and Berne a better connection to Hamburg’s rapid transit network.

In the next two weeks, the subway line will be closed for the installation of shoring girders for the building pit between Farmsen and Volksdorf stations. Then the station building, the 125 m long platform and various technical and operating rooms as well as a Bike-and-Ride facility with 240 parking spaces will be constructed.

09.02.2018 - The new Adina Hotel, between Hamburg’s inner city and the Speicherstadt warehouse district on the site of the former legendary Spiegel canteen, is celebrating its opening.

After a short building phase, the first of three new structures on the so-called Spiegel Island has been completed.

Spiegel-Verlag had moved to a new location at Ericusspitze, freeing its former site for new uses. The protected high-rise towers have been renovated, and the new buildings in modern architecture now complete the ensemble.

• More: Height 3 - Adina Hotel

01.02.2018 – The sheet pile walls that were newly installed at the former Zollamt (custom house) No. 4 in Hamburg’s historic Speicherstadt (warehouse district) are currently being back-anchored with micro piles.

Later, reinforced concrete components will be produced as reinforcements and faced with brickwork in order to retain the historic appearance.

More than 100 years have passed since the quay wall was erected. The construction has suffered in the intervening period. Flooding has resulted in subsidence in the road. The remediation of the quay wall will be completed by the end of 2018.

• More: Repair of quay walls at Zollkanal

19.01.2018 - On this website, we introduce our programme for soil calculations called BIN-GEO.

BIN-GEO is a computation programme to realistically calculate stresses and deformations in the subsoil. It was developed by our engineers based on our decades of experience with difficult building works.

The programme encompasses building phases, advancing and retreating states, pre-loadings and the non-linear bearing and deformation behaviour of the soil. Meanwhile the deployment of BIN-GEO has proved its worth in a multiplicity of building projects.

• More: www.bin-geo.de

12.01.2018 - Our project report on the rebuilding of the Planetarium was published in the January 08 issue of the German magazin "Bautechnik".

The Planetarium Hamburg was re-opened in the spring of 2017 after a building period of c. 18 months. The objective was the modernisation including the creation of new spaces and usage possibilities. Components of the planning task included demolition and reconstruction works, retaining works for load-bearing elements subject to conservation protection. 

The results are impressive and have been received positively from all sides, not only from the owners and those involved in the planning, but also from the public.

• More: Rebuilding of the Hamburg Planetarium

15.12.2017 – Now the production can start! Today the fourth Final Assembly Line (4-FAL) – a new assembly line for Type A320 aircraft – was put into service. And it is not a day too soon, because orders were placed for 430 A320s at the Dubai Airshow in November.

The assembly hall was only built a few years ago, but it was originally designed to house two separate assembly areas for the A380 aircraft model:

• More: A380 Flightline-Hangar

Therefore rebuilding were required. Our rebuilding plans were already finalised last spring, and the reconstruction measures for the building were completed in the autumn. And now, just in time for Christmas, the assembly plant for the A320 was also installed.

23.11.2017 - The railway bridge structures at Anckelmannsplatz Square are to be replaced. We are delighted about the contract for the engineering services, including the civil, structural, and traffic design works.

To ensure that the Hamburg rail traffic can continue to run smoothly in future, older bridges are being replaced step by step, including the overbridge at Anckelmannsplatz Square.

Here, the long distance railway line Hamburg - Berlin as well as the suburban railway line Hamburg Central Station - Aumühle are crossing over the roads at Anckelmannsplatz. In view of their projected short remaining lifespan, the old bridge structures, built in 1905, are to be completely demolished and replaced by new structures.

17.11.2017 – When aircraft must take off or land at night, obstacles such as e.g. tall electricity pylons are made visible to the pilots by means of a beacon. In Hamburg, the Jenisch Park with its tall old oak trees represents just such an obstacle for air traffic to the AIRBUS works airfield in Finkenwerder.

To ensure the safety of air traffic while not disrupting the visual appearance of the park it was necessary to avoid a massive mast construction. With the help of Mother Nature: the 10 metre high, light aluminium mast housing the beacon was mounted at a height of 18 metres in the branch of a massive oak tree.

From today, the new beacon will shine out above the treetops – clearly visible to air pilots but practically out of sight of the visitors to the Jenisch Park.

11.11.2017 - Within view of Hamburg’s Inner and Outer Alster, a new skyscraper has arisen, filling the gaps between the existing Burmah-Haus and the freshly renovated Finnlandhaus structures: the new "Esplace" building at Esplanade No. 40.

It thus finally achieves the vision of the planners in 1960, who wanted to create a line of three slender skyscrapers along this important urban development site beside the Esplanade highway.

• More: Esplace - Esplanade 40
• More: Rebuilding of the Finnlandhaus

06.11.2017 - The building ensemble on Hamburg’s so-called "SPIEGEL-Insel" (SPIEGEL Island) continues to grow. The two existing structures, created in the 1960s by the architect Werner Kallmorgen and now listed as protected buildings, are being supplemented by three further buildings on the site.

The landmark former IBM building has been dismantled down to the naked building shell. A new and modern facade, approved by the historical monument conservation authority, was recently installed here.

Prior to that, the shell was made fit – fit for the future and for a new use. This involved interventions in the structure, especially for alterations required for the renewal of lifts and building services as well as concrete remediation measures.
 

25.10.2017 - The SAGA Group today celebrated the topping-out of some 310 publicly funded residential apartments in Harburg.

The designs, by the architects AIT Architektur- und Ingenieurbüro Holger Trumpf and Renner Hainke Wirth, are taking shape. The building shells of the two construction sections are practically complete. This was celebrated together with all those involved in the building work.

Five apartment houses are being built here with underground garages as well as a day nursery. The speeches at the ceremony highlighted their special importance for the development of the whole district.

• More: Residental quarter Denickestraße
  

23.10.2017 - The construction site is ready to get the excavation works started. Immediately neighbouring the Hamburg Domplatz square, an office building with space for 400 staff is coming into being whose high-quality architecture will fit seamlessly into its environment.

The building pit will be executed by means of an overlapping bore pile wall. The massive bore pile wall is also utilised as a permanent foundation element for the building, while large parts of the load-bearing sole plate are set on shallow foundations.

But first, archaeological excavations are planned inside the building pit at this historic site next the old Hammaburg.

• More: Haus am Domplatz

16.10.2017 - With a small ceremony, the moving of the HfMT back to their traditional home on the Outer Alster was celebrated today.

Following the comprehensive refurbishment of the outdated building, the students of the Hamburg University of Music and Drama (Hochschule für Musik und Theater) will find completely new teaching and practice rooms fitted with the latest and most modern equipment back at their traditional home.

During the reconstruction works, the unusual building revealed a multitude of surprises – a challenge for all those involved in the planning and construction sequence.

• More: Refurbishment of the University of Music and Drama (HfMT) Building

13.10.2017 – Yesterday, the Architects and Engineers Association Hamburg (AIV) presented the winners of the 2016 AIV Building of the Year Awards. Five projects in the Hanseatic City were awarded.

This included the four-hectare Lohsepark in the HafenCity, to which the INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES was able to make significant contributions as structural and civil engineers.

The execution of the architecturally-designed cycle and footbridge as an integral structure on deep foundations with a crossing angle of 30° and an irregular, cubist-prismatic reinforced concrete cross-section represented a particular engineering highlight.

• More: Lohsepark Place of Remembrance - Seam and Bridge

29.09.2017 - Large-scale conversion work finished: The food and beverage area "FoodSky" at Europa Passage Hamburg will open today.

The "FoodSky" extending across the entire top floor of the center was the main focus of the finished refurbishment. It comprises a food court accommodating 15 food retailers and a common seating area with nearly 400 seats as well as five further restaurants.

The modernization of the ground floor of Europa Passage will also be completed by spring 2018. The restaurant spaces becoming available will be leased to grocery stores and retailers that offer articles of daily use.

• More on the building: Europa Passage Hamburg

22.09.2017 - Worlds most powerful large-size bearing test centre in operation.

Recently, SKF officially inaugurated the Sven Wingquist Test Center, the world’s most powerful large-size bearing test centre. The centre, situated in Schweinfurt, Germany, is equipped with two new giant test rigs that can test bearings to the extreme. The technological spadework will help to further optimize large-size bearing design and enable more efficient manufacturing. Below the line, customers will benefit from optimized solutions.

• More (www.skf.com): Report on the operation of the test centre
• More: Project SKF-Testcenter Schweinfurt
  

19.09.2017 - One thousand followers and countless likes on instagram: We are delighted about the interest in our pics and our buildings!

In our company, engineers with experience gained from many successfully mastered challenges combine with young engineers with outstanding qualifications to form a powerful team, always ready to turn in an astounding performance.

We hope that, also with our instagram gallery, we can spread some of our enthusiasm and passion as structural and civil engineers.

• More: INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES on instagram

08.09.2017 - Currently the bore piles beneath the quay wall are being remediated. Then the waterfront structure will be strengthened with reinforced concrete and the exterior brickwork will be renewed. The anchoring is secured by slanted micro grouting piles.

Warehouse D6 on Kehrwiederfleet was completely destroyed by a bomb in the Second  World War. Rebuilding followed in the 1950s. Since then the building’s foundation on the water side has been exposed to the tide and has suffered damage in the intervening years.

The repairs will be completed at the beginning of 2018. We are delighted that our planning has contributed to the conservation of the Speicherstadt World Heritage Site.

07.09.2017 - On the occasion of the Day of the Open Memorials 2017 the Brahms Kontor offers free guided tours through the building on this Sunday.

The Brahms Kontor was completely renewed 10 years ago. The protected historical components were retained in their original position and integrated into a very modern new construction behind an old façade. The removal and reinstallation of whole staircases, the provision of parts of the existing building with full basements for a more convenient underground garage entrance, the shoring of supports over many storeys, and the installation of completely new shafts for lifts and building services - all this mass of activity was accompanied by careful day-by-day attention to the detail of the building substance.

• More: Project Rebuilding and Extension of the Brahms Kontor

16.08.2017 - Fraport AG today submitted the building permit application to the City of Frankfurt for the construction of the new Pier G at Frankfurt Airport.

Fraport has decided to move up the construction of the new pier in response to passenger growth, particularly in the low-cost segment. Pier G was originally envisaged as the second phase in the construction of FRA’s new Terminal 3, but is now being realized and commissioned ahead of schedule.

Construction work on the new pier is scheduled to begin in mid-2018 under the responsibility of a general contractor. Architect: Christoph Mäckler Architekten, Structural Engineering: Ingenieurbüro Dr. Binnewies.

• More (www.fraport.com): News Release

21.06.2017 - After less than two years of construction, it was finally time to open the Sven Wingquist Test Center in Schweinfurt today.

The new SKF test center is home to two gigantic rigs. They enable accurate testing methods that will support the proprietary improvements in large size bearing design. This is the only site in the world capable of testing bearings in this category under conditions that will most accurately represent real-life dynamic loads. The complete structure comprises a hall accommodating the test stations and an office and technical tract. The structural planning is based on the winning design in a closed architectural competition.

• More (www.skf.com): Sven Wingquist Test Center
• More: Project SKF-Testcenter Schweinfurt
  

21.06.2017 - With an open day, the new Hamburg School Students' Research Center was opened in the Grindelallee today.

Parts of the ground floor and the basement of the university building "VG II" at Grindelallee 117 were reconstructed and turned into workshops and laboratories during the last year. Instead of coffees from Tchibo, this place now offers plenty of space for young people to do researches and experiments to their hearts content.

Inside the building, the conversion of the premises involved considerable interventions in the existing construction, while outside of the building, the facade and the dilapidated canopy were renovated.

• More: Students' Research Center Hamburg

20.06.2017 – 24/25 June is  "Day of Architecture and Civil Engineering"! We invite you to a guided tour through the Lohsepark and the open-air parts of the neighbouring Baakenhafen. Our tours start on Saturday 24 June at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00 hrs. Meeting point: Lohseplatz, HafenCity, Hamburg. All those interested are welcome.

Civil engineering structures such as retaining walls, bridges, staircases and ramps are major components in the planning of the parks and squares in HafenCity. These structures must meet demanding design requirements, while at the same time they must also be flood-proof and adapted to the special features of the site. The Lohsepark with its "seam" (see here for more) has already been completed, while the areas of the neighbouring Baakenhafen can be viewed as a building site.

19.06.2017 - Together with all our employees, we have ceremonially opened our new additional offices on the fifth floor of the Schumacher Kontor building last Friday afternoon.

The extended office space has been made ready for us in the last weeks. Now, after completion, we have a total of four full and connected storeys - and space for 25 additional staff - available to us.

We moved our offices into the freshly-renovated architectural monument at Dammtorstraße 25 in October 2015. Besides the modern and future-oriented workplaces - now on four floors -, we also value the very special ambience of this historic building and its central location in Hamburg's inner city.

14.05.2017 – Last night, a temporary pedestrian and installation duct bridge was lifted and put in place at the station Harburger Bahnhof. For this, the rail tracks in the direction of Cuxhaven had been shut down for a 33 hour possession period.

The temporary bridge is needed because the irreparably damaged road bridge Hannoversche Straße is to be demolished at the beginning of 2018 and then to be renewed by the middle of 2019.

In the meantime, this temporary bridge will serve to route both the pedestrian traffic and the supply lines over the rail tracks of Deutsche Bahn.

10.05.2017 – The Place of Remembrance in Hamburg’s HafenCity will be ceremonially opened today. For this an extensive programme will take place from 10 to 16 May. Today’s Lohsepark is on the site of a former railway station, Hannoverscher Bahnhof, which was opened in 1872. From here, between 1940 and 1945, 8,071 Jews, Sinti and Roma from Hamburg and Northern Germany were deported to the ghettos and extermination camps in Eastern and Central Europe in 20 railway transports. Through the middle of the park runs a "seam" – a civil engineering structure comprising facing angled retaining walls – designed as a deep cutting to indicate the course of the former railway tracks.

• More: Lohsepark Place of Remembrance - Seam and Bridge
• More (hamburg.de) Gedenkort Hannoverscher Bahnhof (in German)

09.05.2017 - The site in Adenauerallee, in Hamburg’s central St. Georg district, has been waiting for a new occupant for many years. Now it’s coming at last: The laying of the foundation stone will be celebrated today.

The new buildings will be a high-rise residential tower with 17 storeys and a four-star hotel, with a two storey underground garage beneath. The building pit was left over from an earlier project. It lay derelict for eight years before it was repaired and reactivated for this new building project.

The ensemble already has a name: "Konrad", from the street name Adenauerallee which was named for Germany’s Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

• More: Konrad - Residential Tower and Hotel
  

05.04.2017 - Here, where centuries ago the "foundation stone" of the port and mercantile city of Hamburg was laid, the Kontorhaus Handelsreich is emerging. The topping-out ceremony will be held today!

The historical underground here is full of structural witnesses to former eras, sometimes up to 800 years old – a very special challenge for the planners and builders, but one that was successfully mastered.

Due to its prominent location on the corner of Hopfenmarkt and Hahntrapp, the new building will help to define the appearance of the Nikolaiviertel district and form a link to the tradition of Hamburg’s historic trading houses.

• More: Kontorhaus Handelsreich

04.04.2017 - The gigantic porch of the new hotel "The Fontenay" has been put in place. It was delivered in eight individual sections and assembled on-site.

The projecting steel roof weighs 50 tonnes. Its length corresponds to the span of an Airbus A320. Covering an area of some 170 m², it will enable future guests to reach the hotel in inclement weather without getting wet.

With its sweeping shape, the porch integrates seamlessly with the unique architecture of the new hotel building.

• More: Hotel The Fontenay
• More (YouTube): Slideshow Assembling Porch of Hotel The Fontenay

31.03.2017 - Finally: In a deep building pit in St. Georg that has lain derelict for 8 years, work is starting on the building shell for a residential tower and a hotel.

The old building pit was originally created for a quite different building project, but then remained unused. The newly-planned building ensemble with a two-storey underground garage will now be integrated into the existing building pit construction, which has previously been remediated for its new use.

The tower crane has already been set up. Shortly the building shell will become visible and will continue to grow in the coming weeks. The new complex, comprising a high-rise residential block and a 4-star hotel, will close one of the last major gaps in the urban development in St. Georg.

• More: Residential Tower and Hotel at Adenauerallee

07.03.2017 – The design by the architect’s office SAA Schweger Architekten from Hamburg was among the three winning designs in the competition for the new LVR-Haus in Cologne’s Ottoplatz. It was awarded second prize. The three prize-winners were selected from a total of 21 designs submitted by architects from Germany and the Netherlands.

INGENIEURBÜRO DR.BINNEWIES supported SAA’s work with ideas for an economical and well-structured building design. The design, for the offices of the Rhineland Regional Council (Landschaftsverband Rheinland, LVR) features a jointless reinforced concrete skeleton construction with joist-free flat floor slabs. Generous column spacing permits very flexible use of space. Sincere congratulations to the team of architects at SAA for this special achievement.

22.02.2017 - Start of the conversion works on the Airbus Manufacturing Hall 213/214. The hall was newly built just a few years ago. Originally, two separate A380 assembly berths were accommodated here:

• More: A380 Flightline-Hangar

This is now being converted – in an area of some 13,000 m² – into one continuous production line for A320 aircraft. For this purpose, two wide openings with dimensions of up to c. 8 m x 14 m will be broken into the over 30 m high and 80 m long firewall – a central structural element of the hall.

In addition, mining techniques will be used to create new equipment rooms under the sole, which also have to be connected by creating further openings in the sole.

27.01.2017 - The moment has arrived. 14 February is the date for the official reopening of Hamburg’s Planetarium. From 15 February the Planetarium will be open to all visitors on two Open Days. Shows will then begin on 17 February with a new programme.

During the approximately eighteen-month rebuilding phase, the foyer level on the first floor and the plinth were extended. New spaces have been created in the plinth for refreshments, shop, events, exhibitions, offices and toilets. Access to the Planetarium is now at ground level from the Stadtpark. Additionally there are now two lifts to the star theatre and to the observation platform.

• More: Rebuilding Planetarium Hamburg
• More (YouTube Video): Animation - Extension Planetarium Rebuilding 2015-16

20.01.2017 - Large-scale conversion work starts: Ten years after its opening, Europa-Passage, located in downtown Hamburg, will get a complete makeover.

The new "FoodSky" extending across the entire top floor of the center will be the main focus of the planned refurbishment. It will comprise a food court accommodating 15 food retailers and a common seating area with nearly 400 seats as well as five further restaurants. The "FoodSky" will open in fall of this year.

The modernization of the ground floor of Europa Passage will also be completed by spring 2018. The restaurant spaces becoming available will be leased to grocery stores and retailers that offer articles of daily use

• More on the building: Europa Passage Hamburg

13.01.2017 - At the turn of the year, storm tides in Hamburg once again led to flooding and the Fish Market (Fischmarkt) in St. Pauli was under water several times. Water levels were more than 2 metres above "Mean High Water" level. But such high tides are a routine occurrence in Hamburg, and no major damage was done.

At all events it is comforting to know that the flood protection barriers in Hamburg - also at the Fish Market - are designed to cope with much higher water levels ...

• More: Flood Protection at Fish Market and Hafenstraße
• More: Flood Protection Polder Neumühlen

09.01.2017 - INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES is expanding its office space and has taken over an additional floor in the Schumacher Kontor building.

We moved our offices into this freshly-renovated architectural monument at Dammtorstraße 25 in October 2015. Besides the modern and future-oriented workplaces on three floors, we also value the very special ambience of this historic building and its central location in Hamburg’s inner city.

The extended office space will be made ready for us in the coming weeks. When complete, we will have a total of four full and connected storeys – and space for 25 additional staff – available to us.

03.11.2016 - First prize for the office and commercial building at Heuberg 1 / Hohe Bleichen 8 in the BDA Hamburg Architecture Prize 2016!

The jury’s verdict: The new multi-storey office and commercial building is a striking presence at a key location in Hamburg’s inner city. The art of inserting a new component into the cityscape alongside its extremely multifarious neighbouring buildings has been celebrated with virtuosity as a work of architectural sculpture down to the last detail ... With a high level of design quality and an independent and powerful appearance, this new building fits very proportionately into the heterogeneous ensemble ...

• More: Office and commercial building Heuberg
• More: BDA Hamburg on the building

03.11.2016 - Award-winning design: Klubhaus St. Pauli is awarded 2nd prize in the BDA Hamburg Architecture Prize 2016!

The statement of the jury: The Klubhaus on Spielbudenplatz in St. Pauli is more than simply a home for various live music clubs, offices and a theatre as well as a bar on the roof, and its media facade is more than just cladding. It is an integral component of the colourful local scene in and around the Reeperbahn ... The building also pleases on account of its profiled outer skin which not only appears in its true colours at night but also cuts a good figure in daylight.

• More: Klubhaus St. Pauli
• More: BDA Hamburg on Klubhaus St. Pauli

03.11.2016 - BDA Architecture Prize 2016: We congratulate the prize winners, and we are delighted to have been able to make our contribution as structural engineers to the success of some of the award-winning structures.

As well as a first and a second prize, these also include the jury’s official commendations for the projects "Modernisation of Hamburg’s Kunsthalle" and "Marquard & Bahls Corporate Head Offices".

• More: Modernisation of Hamburg’s Kunsthalle
• More: BDA Hamburg on Modernisation of Hamburg’s Kunsthalle
• More: Headquarter Marquard & Bahls
• More: BDA Hamburg on Marquard & Bahls Corporate Head Offices

21.10.2016 - How time flies! "Our" taxiway bridges at Frankfurt Airport have now been in operation for exactly 5 years!

The north-west runway was opened on 21.10.2011. To connect it to the airport’s existing flight operation areas, two taxiways cross the ICE railway line, the A3 autobahn and the airport ring road. Five large bridge structures were created. Taxiway Bridge West 1 is more than 90 metres long and up to 117 metres wide along the taxiway axis. Taxiway Bridge East 1– also along the taxiway axis – is more than 200 metres long and up to 220 metres wide.

• More: Taxiway Bridges Frankfurt Airport
• Mehr (PDF): Die Rollbrücken am Flughafen Frankfurt/Main (Beton- und Stahlbetonbau, 2012, Heft 3)
  

05.10.2016 - 10 years ago today, the Hamburg shopping mall Europa-Passage was opened. Framed by the Binnenalster and Ballindamm, by existing buildings and underground stations, and by streets and alleys with their countless utility lines, a 160-metre long arcade had been created with five shopping levels.

It is embedded into a seamless 16-storey building which extends as far as 24 metres into the ground. In addition to retail spaces, the Europa Passage offers plenty of room for restaurants, storage, offices, parking and modern building services.

• More: Europa Passage Hamburg

29.09.2016 - After the first topping-out ceremony on 30 April 1966, today saw a second topping-out celebration for this spectacular high-rise structure.

The protected building was completed in 1966 as an innovative suspended construction. The floors of all storeys are suspended from the roof storey which sits on the inner bracing core. The core transmits the entire load of the building into the ground. On the ground floor the inner core is visible as a slender foot.

By April 2017, the building will be completely renovated in the style of the 1960s but to today’s most modern technical standards.

• More: Rebuilding of the Finnlandhaus
• More (Vimeo Video): Finnlandhaus 2015

16.07.2016 - The turning of the first sod for the construction of the new dm head offices took place today in Karlsruhe in glorious sunshine.

In its new headquarters, the drug-store giant plans to bring together seven administrative locations onto a single site. The project will be completed by Spring 2019 at the latest.

The construction will be a four-storey administrative building, outstanding on account of its special ground plan geometry. The associated multi-storey car park is planned as a green hill.

• More: New dm Head Office

14.07.2016 - HafenCity's biggest park landscape has been completely finished. The Lohsepark was opened last weekend. Around 20,000 visitors celebrated the park’s opening with a big summer party attended by Hamburg’s first mayor.

An artificial trough cuts through the new park. This so-called "seam" traces the route of the historic rail tracks from the former station forecourt, through the park to the former platform. The building is part of a place of remembrance of a dark chapter of Hamburg history: between 1940 and 1945 at least 7,692 people - Jews, Sinti and Roma - were deported from here.

• More: Lohsepark - Place of Rememberance - Seam and Bridge

07.07.2016 - At least, so it was reported in today’s Hamburger Abendblatt: the multi-storey car park "P1", designed by the architect Riegler Riewe, was nominated to the World Architecture Festival (WAF) on account of its special form. The building, a rounded triangle, allows optimal use of its 2,600 parking spaces according to the WAF. At the same time it requires no artificial ventilation and minimal lighting.

A total of five German buildings have made it onto the shortlist for the WAF’s "Building of the Year". The awards will be presented at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin from 16 to 18 November.

• More: Car Park P1 at Hamburg Airport

03.06.2016 - Today the topping-out ceremony was held for the construction of a new production and logistics centre for locomotives. Six production halls and an industrial hall were constructed for the company Vossloh Locomotives on an approximately 18,000 m² site using prefabricated reinforced concrete.

From next year, locomotives will be manufactured at the "Business Campus Kiel" business park in Suchsdorf using the most modern methods. Up to 40 locomotives per year will be delivered from the production halls. With optimised building processes and a new platform concept, the time required to build a loco will be reduced from today’s 18 months to six months.

• More: Project Vossloh Manufacturing Halls
• More (YouTube): Topping-out for new Vossloh locomotives production centre
  

01.06.2016 - Architecture and Engineer's Architecture Day 2016 in Hamburg on June 25. INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES invites you to visit the building site of the rebuild and enlargement project of the traditional Hamburg Planetarium.

Until early 2017, Hamburg Planetarium is closed for the public. Major improvements for visitors will be implemented during this period of construction: a new entrance on floor level will be added within the green hill surrounding the tower, allowing much improved access to the building. The planning of the new spaces in the plinth and the extensions to the existing foyer level on the first floor involved considerable interventions in the existing construction.

• More: Rebuilding of the Hamburg Planetarium

02.05.2016 - The new office and administration building ERICUS CONTOR has achieved the DGNB Platinum certification this week.

Platinum is the highest award that can be achieved from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).

The German sustainability certificate awarded by the DGNB is an acknowledged quality hallmark for sustainably constructed buildings that underscores the environmental expertise along the entire value added chain of a property.

• More: Project Ericus Contor
• More Sustainability Certifications

29.04.2016 - New contract: A powerful state-of-the-art passenger transport system (PTS) is required at Frankfurt Airport to connect the planned new terminal 3 in the south to the the northbound existing terminals 1 and 2 including the attached rail-way stations. 

The northern section of this PTS has to be placed on elevated level right above of existing structures and operating areas.

We are very delighted to have been awarded the contract for this demanding civil and structural engineering task.

22.04.2016 - The Hamburg Kunsthalle will be reopened on 30 April 2016 after reconstruction and renovation, in which the old main entrance was re-activated as sole entrance for the entire complex.

Now a visit to the Kunsthalle is not only worthwhile on account of the works of art on display. The historic structure, carefully renovated and meeting the latest technical standards, is also deserving of the art lover’s attention.

From 30 April to 31 May 2016 on the occasion of its reopening, the admission is free!

• More: Renovation and Extension of Hamburg Kunsthalle

March 12, 2016 - Contract awarded to INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES: Refurbishment of quay walls at Zollkanal in Hamburg - Civil and Structural Engineering.

The sands of time have taken their toll on the appearance of the historical quay walls in Hamburg HafenCity, subjected to the constant stresses of earth pressure and changing water levels for over 120 years. Now the ageing quay walls have to be technically and visually refurbished to meet the demands that will be placed on it in the future.

Not only here, we have shown that we are up to the task:

• Refurbishment of quay wall at Magdeburger Hafen

20.11.2015 - The building shell of the new luxury hotel on the Alster is complete.

Today, in perfect Hamburg topping-out weather, the wreath was raised. And accompanied by good wishes and blessings on the new building, the obligatory schnapps glass was shattered in accordance with tradition.

The building schedule was challenging. From the successful conclusion of the architectural competition at the end of 2013 until today, just two years have passed, in which time the project has moved from the design stage, through the approval and execution planning, to the completed concrete building structure.

• More: Hotel Fontenay
• More (YouTube): Camera flight over the building site of Hotel Fontenay

16.10.2015 - Commissioned: Structural engineering for new residential quarter.

We are delighted! In the framework of a public procurement process, INGENIEURBÜRO DR. BINNEWIES has won the commission for the structural engineering for a new residential complex with underground car parking directly adjacent to the "Messestadt Ost" subway station in Munich’s Riem district. A lively new city district will come into being here. Around a central, attractive and urban square, a large retail store, smaller shops, social and cultural facilities, a public library and residential apartments will be developed.

The building planning has been commissioned to the architects Henchion Reuter Architekten from Berlin as the winners of an architectural design competition.

12.10.2015 - We are excited to announce that the BINNEWIES team finally has moved to a more comfortable and spacious office location last weekend.

Our shiny, new office is on Dammtorstrasse in the SCHUMACHER KONTOR right in the city centre of Hamburg. This building, the former Hamburg school authorities building built in 1913, has now transformed into a modern office building with the flair of old buildings. 

We look forward to seeing you at our new address: 

• Dammtorstraße 25, 20354 Hamburg