Altona’s Future Unveiled: Park and Housing Plans for Former Train Station Site
Hamburg, April 19 – The future of the area surrounding the Altona train station is taking shape following an ideas competition commissioned by Hamburg’s financial authority. With the long-distance train station set to move to Diebsteich by 2030, freeing up tens of thousands of square meters, urban planners and architects have presented visions for a new, attractive center for Altona.
Five architectural teams submitted designs, with some initially proposing to place the bus station underground. However, this idea was rejected by the jury, which ultimately selected two winning concepts due to their distinct yet promising approaches to urban and green spaces.
Two Visions for Altona: Demolition or Preservation
One of the winning teams, “CF Möller and Vogt Landschaft,” proposes the demolition of the existing train station building to create a continuous green axis extending from Altona City Hall to Diebsteich. This approach emphasizes an expansive green space as a central element of the new urban landscape.
In contrast, the team “Noto and Studio Erde” advocates for the preservation of the train station building, opting instead to create a new park solely in the northern part of the area. This design aims to integrate the historical structure into the new development while still introducing significant green spaces.
Oberbaudirektor Franz Josef Höing commented on the outcomes, stating, “Both works promise well-proportioned urban and green spaces with new qualities of stay.” The challenge now lies in harmonizing these fundamentally different plans, a task whose method remains unclear at this stage.
A “Century Opportunity” for Altona
Financial Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD) hailed the project as a “century opportunity” for Altona. “Altona will get a new attractive center,” he affirmed. Dressel has proposed the creation of at least 400 apartments on the site, though construction is not expected to begin until the early 2030s.
The Hamburg-Altona station is currently the city’s second-largest long-distance train station after the main station, with other long-distance trains also operating from Hamburg-Dammtor and Hamburg-Harburg. The relocation will make a substantial area available for redevelopment, offering a unique chance to reshape a significant part of the district.
Public Engagement and Future Developments
Earlier, interested parties had the opportunity to observe the five competing teams at work in the “glass workshop” at Altona’s Fischmarkt, fostering public engagement in the planning process.
In related news, an alcohol ban has been implemented at the Hamburg-Altona station, mirroring a regulation in effect at Hamburg’s main station for the past year and a half. This ban, however, does not apply to all areas of the station.
The new long-distance train station in Diebsteich, which will replace the current Altona station, is now expected to be completed later than initially planned. Due to complications in the construction process, its commissioning has been postponed to the end of 2029, as announced by Deutsche Bahn.
The history of Altona’s stations is marked by transformation; the first Altona station became the city hall, and the second made way for a “department store with a train connection.” This current station is also soon to become history, paving the way for a new chapter in Altona’s urban development.
Source: NDR.de
