The port city of Hamburg can look back on a long tradition as a transshipment point for coffee and is still an important European port for importing coffee today. Not far from the former coffee exchange, the Richard Meier & Partners team have designed a new building ensemble called International Coffee Plaza. Situated on a podium above Sandtorpark, an oval tower separates the park from the plaza. With a gross area of 15,4000 square metres on 12 floors, the building houses eleven upper floors of flexible office space and an additional penthouse level, referred to as a “sculptural roofscape” with conference rooms and breathtaking views. Framing the plaza, two additional buildings complete the ensemble. For the tower, the technical systems have been designed in a way that minimises energy consumption while simultaneously creating a working environment with natural ventilation and daylight. The façades are designed as a special unitised construction with floor-toceiling glazing in the office zones. Vertical glass louvre blades in front of the windows provide sun shading. The east side has a twinwall façade. Here, sun shading is provided by electrically-operated external blind installations positioned between the façade levels. Vertical glass louvre blades that rotate with the sun have been installed on the south and west façades, which provide shade and minimise heat gain.

Source: City profile magazine, issue Hamburg

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