Baakenhafen Bridge

Hamburg

Baakenhafen Bridge

bridge construction, structural engineering Services

gmp Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner Architect

Support-free steel bridge for pedestrians and cyclists over the Baakenhafen in Hamburg

Project

HafenCity is a district in the Hamburg-Mitte district of the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg, a 157-hectare urban development area on Großer Grasbrook, formerly part of the free port – Baakenhafen has been given a green play and leisure area in the form of the artificial Baakenpark peninsula and is completely surrounded by rivers and canals. Nothing less than the largest inner-city urban development project in Europe is to be built by 2030 with new residential units and workplaces. The functional bridge at Baakenhafen is built as a logistical link to connect the city districts at an early stage of construction.

Column-free steel bridge with 65 m span

Structural engineering, bridge construction

The structure of the Baakenhafen Bridge, with a length of 67 meters and a clear width of 6.1 meters, was designed as a support-free steel construction, realized as a trough-shaped beam with increasing height toward the center. The open steel construction was chosen because the bridge may lie below the water surface in the event of flooding, and a closed steel box would have generated too much buoyancy. Despite its weight of 280 tons, the welded steel construction appears light and elegant, which is due to the geometric play of the folded side walls.