Frequently asked questions

The Elbtower will have a floor area of around 150,000 sqm and will accommodate a hotel with restaurant, guest flats, fitness and wellness areas as well as some other public facilities. Coworking spaces and modern offices are planned for the upper floors.

The Elbtower is being built on a traffic junction between two Elbe River crossings. The noise pollution would be too much for flats here – so no residential use is planned.

One third of the Elbtower will be open to the public. The building’s base level floors will contain entertainment and edutainment areas as well as a choice of retail and gastronomy outlets. There will be a publicly accessible observation deck on the 55th floor.

The completion of the Elbtower is planned for the end of 2025. Construction will officially begin when the land is handed over to SIGNA Prime Selection in 2022.

There is a tight schedule for the Elbtower: SIGNA submitted the building application in December 2020. In December 2021, work could begin on the excavation pit enclosure. The foundations were laid in winter 2022 and the building construction began in spring 2023. The Elbtower is expected to be completed in 2025.

Because the project is so complex, a special procedure was chosen for the Elbtower. Starting in September 2017, a jury reviewed bids and designs. It chose SIGNA Prime Selection for the construction and David Chipperfield Architects for the design on 31 January 2018.

The Elbtower and HafenCity are partly connected in terms of their design and concept. The Elbtower will be the crown as well as the architectural prelude to HafenCity, which it will shape in the future with its innovative usage concepts. The Elbtower is also integrated into HafenCity’s smart mobility projects.

SIGNA Prime Selection has been present in Hamburg for many years. SIGNA owns several properties there: the Alsterhaus, the Alsterarkaden, the Kaufmannshaus, and the Gänsemarktpassage. With the Elbtower, SIGNA is further expanding its portfolio on the Elbe River.

The Elbtower meets the highest sustainability criteria and conforms with the LEED Platinum Certification and the HafenCity Ecolabel’s platinum certification. Construction uses components and materials with a low carbon footprint. Thanks to its intelligent energy concept, the Elbtower is operated in a quasi-CO2-neutral manner. The Elbtower also relies on smart mobility concepts.

The Elbtower sends out a signal for the future viability of the Hanseatic city, for its economic strength and its courage to shape the future. The Hanseatic way of life is characterized by discreet restraint, a cosmopolitan attitude and style. This special mentality is reflected in the architectural design of the new Elbtower.

The Elbtower was designed by David Chipperfield Architects. The renowned architectural firm was responsible, among other things, for the modernization of the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Nobel Center in Stockholm and the mixed-use high-rise “The Bryant” in New York. In Hamburg, David Chipperfield Architects designed the Empire Riverside Hotel.

A jury decided in favour of the design by David Chipperfield Architects and SIGNA Prime Selection on 31 January 2018. There were six applicants to choose from. The jury consisted of architects, urban planners and real estate experts.

In addition to urban planning and architectural criteria, the decisive factors for the jury were the utilization concept, the economic viability and ability to deliver. SIGNA Prime Selection and David Chipperfield Architects were chosen not only because of their design but also because of their track record of being able to deliver. The Elbtower will be privately financed. SIGNA also has a great deal of experience with complex building projects.