Pieter Oosterheert

Die Hallen – Archiving the Immaterial

Often through the disruption of the existing fabric, urban transformations lead to awkward vacanct spaces even within the very active central spots of the city. The Deichtorhallen site in Hamburg is exemplary of such major transformations and even of erosion of architectural and urban identity. Originally being the gateway to the city as well as for food and goods, the site not only lost its qualities but also its prominence within the rapidly urbanised and industrialised city. With the open-air market and logistics becoming obsolete as well as economically unviable, the programme was pushed out of the city. The trade-spirit and local identity has left and a parking lot now stains the square in front of the monumental Deichtorhallen.

As an answer to the void left behind a new social structure is introduced: A modern take on the outdated and forgotten marketscape. The space for a conventional market is combined with a complementary experimental food market and distribution hub, also to shed some light in the contemporary food-cycles of the city. Awareness on food logistics is further enhanced through an educational institute complete with indoor garden, test kitchens and an auditorium. The former and supplementary functions are housed in the volumes bounding the marketplace and several public squares together with the wood roof structure. To ensure the living identity of the existing buildings, a mix of existing programs are blended with new ones archiving the immaterial: the practice, programme and identity of the site.