Gerhart-Hauptmann-Platz, Hamburg

Green oasis

Konzept

In the form of an undulating, topographical landscape, the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Platz, with its gentle elevations of large paving slabs and flat steps has a calming effect on the fast-paced city bustle around the Thalia theatre in Hamburg‘s city centre.
Conceived as a poetic, tranquil place, interactive rotatable seating elements and fountains provide an appealing place to linger. Small groups of plane trees provide leafy shade, through which the sky is visible. An underground well facility produces bubbling water, which creates a calming ambience and provides a wide range of possibilities for children to play. In the original site, circular wooden benches were situated on the square, in order to create areas of calm and to encourage communication among the users. The basic star shaped structure on the northeast side of the square was part of a former pavilion, which has meanwhile been dismantled.
With its plane trees, which are easy to cultivate, The Gerhart-Hauptmann-Platz is one of the few city squares in Hamburg with such a large amount of trees, giving the location a southern charm.