Bicycle parking house / 2020
At Gottlieb Paludan Architects I have been at the design team that recently received a 2nd prize in a competition proposal for a new multi-storey bicycle parking facility in Harburg, a borough in the German city of Hamburg. The parking building had to blend in with a confined plot near a local traffic hub and, at the same time, embody inviting transparency for cyclists.
The competition comprises the design of a multi-storey bicycle parking facility covering 2,000 m2, accommodating a total of 1,200 bicycles, starting with 600 bicycles in the first phase of implementation and an additional 600 in the second. The parking building is constructed partly below ground level near a traffic hub and it is connected to Hamburg’s subway. Besides parking spaces, the new building will also contain other cycling-related facilities such as a washing facility, workshop, bicycle dealer and an office with affiliated relaxation, toilet and bathing amenities.
Gottlieb Paludan Architects’ solution is based on the area and the narrow contours of the plot. The parking building is constructed as a combination of steel and wood and designed as a cylindrical building with open atrium in the centre from which there is access to all storeys. The open, cornerless structure creates overview within the building and enhances a feeling of security for users. The building is fitted up with modular, replaceable inventory components that make it possible to successively increase the number of parking spaces to 1,200.
The building’s transparent facade and sloping plot are instrumental in conveying natural daylight all the way down to the bottom storeys below ground level via the atrium space, thereby reducing the need for artificial light. Plants will grow from the lowest storeys up through the atrium, creating a living atmosphere that enhances the user experience of the parking facility.
The competition was organised by P + R-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH, which received a total of fifteen competition proposals. Three were selected for the second round, in which we received the 2nd prize.
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