At the entrance to the northern Wallhalbinsel, directly across from the historic old town of Lübeck a new hotel will be built on the site of an unassuming former warehouse. Above all the project will become a contemporary place of hospitality for all visitors. Furthermore, the structure and atmosphere of this former cargo terminal will be respected and rejuvenated. Architectural elements such as the shallow pitched roof with generous projecting eaves and the suspended walkways are adopted and reinterpreted. The motif of the loading platform transitions into a terrace, which then opens up with an inviting staircase towards the city.

The height of the building corresponds to the neighbouring context and the brickwork gable façades echo the surrounding sheds. Their representative design forms a striking gesture that expresses respect for historical substance combined with a contemporary generosity. These gable walls are connected by a horizontal band in the form of the plinth, so that the building resembles a large barge on which red hotel rooms are stacked like containers. Here the hybrid construction of the building becomes legible, with prefabricated timber modules placed onto a massive substructure. With this construction method and the use of timber as a CO2-neutral building material, the design stands for a conscious use of resources.

The entrance which is oriented towards the interior of the peninsula leads the guest into a horizontally proportioned reception area. From there, the room opens vertically to a full height, daylit atrium. Alternating visual relationships between lobby, atrium, bar area and harbour accompany the movement through the ground floor. The conclusion of this promenade is the fully glazed restaurant with terrace and view towards the old town. In the atrium an open staircase leads to the hotel floors. The rooms themselves are simple and constructed fully in timber; the balconies offer the guests a wonderful panorama over the city of Lübeck.

brief

  • Hotel with restaurant, conference rooms and gym

client

  • PIH Entwicklungs- und Erschließungsgesellschaft mbH in Zusammenarbeit mit PRIMUS developments GmbH und DSBC Immobilien GmbH

data

  • gross floor area: 9.260 m²
  • competition: 2019

project team

  • Federica Dino 
  • Axel Ibarroule 
  • Taehwan Kim 
  • David Wegener