With an expanse of just under 300 hectares, one of Europe’s largest ever urban development schemes is being carried out in Bremen’s former docklands. The Überseestadt has since developed into an interesting, vibrant and innovative quarter.
In the following section, we’ve put together some “development milestones” for you.
What got the ball rolling…
Bremen decided to fill in the international seaport’s basin in the mid-1990s to create more space for new businesses. Transhipment operations had been considerably reduced by this time.
The basin was filled in between July and December 1998 using sand from the Aussenweser estuary. This was the first step towards restructuring the former docklands. Bremen’s wholesale market is now located where the former international seaport used to be.
Your contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8252
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
Fresh air from overseas
The first project to be developed in the Überseestadt was Bremen’s wholesale market. This was relocated from the left side of the Weser - the land there was needed to build the A 281 motorway - to the Überseestadt. It was mainly built on the land above the filled-in basin of the international seaport, stretching out for 16.3 hectares. It was opened on 3 November 2002.
Your contact:
Großmarkt Bremen GmbH
Uwe Kluge
T 0421.5368211
kontakt@grossmarkt-bremen.de
Former entrance to Bremen’s ports
The Überseestadt was given attractive new transport infrastructure by extending the Hansator and rebuilding Konsul-Smidt-Strasse. This infrastructural development is the most important road used to access the Überseestadt, allowing almost all traffic through to the wholesale market. This connection was opened up in October 2002.
Your contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
The “Überseestadt vision for Bremen”
The master plan identifies the “Überseestadt vision for Bremen”, providing information on the possible uses of various areas, potential construction designs and the entire new site access system. The plan formed the basis for a model built in the ratio 1:1000, which can be seen in the Überseestadt Welcome Centre.
Your contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
Arguably the longest corridor in the city
The “Speicher XI” warehouse is one of the few historical buildings in the former docklands that have survived the Second World War and beyond. The building was constructed between 1908 and 1912 and is now a protected historical monument that stands out for measuring around 400m and having arguably the longest corridor in the city. After the storehouse had been sold (2001), redeveloped and converted (by 2003), the first institutions to use the building from summer 2003 were Bremen’s College of the Arts, the “Speicher XI” Harbour Museum, a design centre, the Überseestadt Welcome Centre, a restaurant, and various cultural institutions and service providers.
Old walls for new ideas
The building at the top of the timber and factory port was erected in the early 20th century for the fire brigade and customs officials, forming the end of the expansive premises. The brick-red, heavily-structured building is in relatively good condition and surrounded by striking Wilhelminian industrial architecture, including protected historical monuments. Both the fire brigade and customs officials moved out of the building in early 2003. Nowadays, the old fire station is home to an Italian restaurant looking over the harbour basin, as well as office spaces for the cultural and creative industries.
New link to Walle
A new attractive link between the Überseestadt and the district of Walle was created with the redevelopment of the Überseetor gate and extension of the “Am Waller Stieg” footpath.
Contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
Memories of the international seaport
Right by the Überseetor gate before the redeveloped façade of the port house, a green space with a pond goes on for 300m and brings back memories of the international seaport: the Franz-Pieper-Karree. Franz Pieper, born in Bremen in 1897, was a dockworker and finally a warehouse supervisor from 1937 to 1939. After refusing to give his oath of allegiance in 1939, he was sentenced to death for the “subversion of national defence” and executed in Berlin-Plötzensee. In 2008, the Senate of Bremen decided to name this green space in the former docklands after him.
Contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
Modern loft apartments in the former storehouse
Speicher I was built as a storehouse in 1950. Even back then, the modernity of the building shone through with its grid architecture. The design of the visible grid made with reinforced concrete bricks later set the trend for other high-rise buildings in the docklands. Speicher I is around 226m long, 30m wide and has 6 floors that are each 4m in height. This creates contemporary transparency, openness and communication. It was given a new usage in 2005, as it was redeveloped with modern and well-lit office and business lofts. Its close proximity to the Europahafen and its architectural framework also make it ideally suited to providing various uses for art, culture, business and services under one roof.
Expanded inner-city location
The Überseestadt was opened up with an internal street grid, and the Überseetor, the Hansator and Lloydstrasse were connected to the neighbouring districts. Inner-city connections were developed in 2006 via Eduard-Schopf-Allee, including tram links to the Überseestadt. Eduard-Schopf-Allee is a new connecting road named after the Bremen-born founder of the company Eduscho. It crosses under the B6 overpass built in the 1960s, creating a link for cars and public transport from the Überseestadt to the city centre.
Contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
Always along the water’s edge
After a year of building work, cyclists and pedestrians have been able to use Bremen’s “Schlachte” promenade since May 2009 to get to the Überseestadt. The promenade connects Bremen city centre with the Überseestadt along the river Weser. During the building work, a wheelchair-accessible paved ramp was installed in the Weser quarter, taking pedestrians and cyclists from the recently extended Schlachte promenade to the new Stephanitorsbollwerk street, an extension of Lloydstrasse. Some of the construction work undertaken in 2012 included fitting the quays with a new sheet pile wall and flood protection and then reopening the promenade in 2014 after 20 months of building work.
Your contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
A spot by the water
The oversized and offset steps at the top of the Europahafen basin were made in May 2009, inviting visitors to take a break and let their mind and soul relax while looking out onto the water and Europahafen marina. The steps can also be reached from the Hilde Adolf Park, which was also completed in May 2009. Around 400 trees line the park, which is 500m long and 35m wide. The park is also interspersed with modern concrete features that provide seating and split the facilities up into different areas, such as the lawn and rows of trees.
When the old quays were being redeveloped as the promenade, the flood protection was also rebuilt and installed for the decades to come. The promenade surrounds the entire top section of the Europahafen and is full of restaurants and shops.
Your contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
New urbanity at the port
A new form of urbanity combining work and life has been unexpectedly quick to emerge around the Europahafen basin. The Europahafen is lined with promenades, terraces, restaurants, shops and a marina with modern office spaces. It is also worth noting the extraordinary range of sectors present. The first section of the seaside promenade was completed in 2009 in the northern quarter of the Europahafen. The Europahafen marina then attracted ships back to the port in 2011. There have since been pleasure boats moored at the private jetty, and the public jetty provides space for passenger boats and historical ships. The expansion of the vast promenade, which is now 1.5km long, was then opened to the public in 2012. Its upper and lower sections and width of 16m provide ample space for walking and cycling. However, it also serves a purely practical purpose, as the newly installed sheet pile wall has raised the flood protection line.
Your contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
Fun, games and relaxation
Another attraction on the international seaport’s filled-in basin is the “Überseepark”. All 40 hectares offer the perfect location for the 25,000m2 park. In close proximity to the “WeserUfer” quarter, where the first apartments in the Überseestadt were built, the park lets residents relax and should especially provide children and teenagers with plenty of leisure opportunities, including a skate park, a playground and lots of little playing fields.
Your contacts:
WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH
Jons Abel
T 0421.9600-613
F 0421.9600-8613
jons.abel@wfb-bremen.de
Dagmar Nordhausen
T 0421.9600-252
F 0421.9600-8613
dagmar.nordhausen@wfb-bremen.de
The Überseestadt’s skatepark was built following an extensive planning and participation process. City representatives, specialist planners and local youths all came together to work on the project.
Towering majestically for 12 metres into the skies by the turning basin, the Molenturm has braved the wind and weather for over 100 years.
The Überseestadt is brimming with ideas to give new temporary uses to deserted buildings and spaces, turning former lorry dispatch facilities into film sets and creating the Golden City port bar.
