A modern urban neighbourhood is being developed to create a balance between attractive commercial and residential areas surrounding the future railway station. At the same time, a new mixed-use residential neighbourhood is being constructed on the former factory premises of the Holsten brewery and the adjacent central Altona Mitte quarter.
Diebsteich station and the surrounding area
Deutsche Bahn’s decision to relocate the Altona regional and long-distance railway station to the Diebsteich site was an impulse that permanently changed the urban layout. In addition to the legal and structural engineering procedures for building the new station, it was thus also necessary to take the surroundings of the future station into consideration and identify opportunities for development of the predominantly commercial and industrial area at Diebsteich.
This is why in 2017 the Hamburg Senate decided to initiate preliminary studies for the areas east and west of the site of the new station. The investigations are also linked to a framework plan for urban development which reaches well into the surrounding area and ties in directly with the two construction phases of the Mitte Altona neighbourhood.
The planning process started early in 2018 and was completed in 2021. The preliminary studies and the preparation of the framework plan were accompanied by an integrated civil participation process.
Mitte Altona – two construction phases
Not only does Mitte Altona offer new opportunities for a modern residential quarter for the neighbourhoods and the district of Altona, it also offers great potential for urban growth and redensification for the whole of Hamburg.
The Mitte Altona project area covers about 75 hectares and has existed since the early 2000s, when Deutsche Bahn AG decided to relocate Altona station to the Diebsteich site for operational reasons.
Some of the railway premises and commercial areas were already available for development independently of the station relocation. So in 2007, the Hamburg Senate decided to initiate preliminary studies to guarantee integrated development over a longer period of time.
From 2010 to 2012, a master plan for the entire Mitte Altona quarter was developed based on an urban and landscape design competition. Then in 2014, the development plan for the first construction phase of Mitte Altona was approved and construction work began. By now, the first construction phase has largely been completed, with around 1,600 apartments and a 2.7-hectare park for the residents of the neighbourhood.
According to the schedule, all construction is to be completed by 2023. After the relocation of the Altona railway station to the Diebsteich site, another 1,900 residential units are planned to be built at Mitte Altona in a second construction phase.
Development of former Holsten brewery site
As Holsten/Carlsberg decided to relocate its production site to Harburg, the Holsten area was made available for urban development. This offers the district of Altona the opportunity to develop the former Holsten brewery area into an urban quarter with commercial and residential areas with educational, leisure and recreational facilities.
The development of the Holsten brewery site is to be closely linked with the adjacent Gerichtsviertel neighbourhood and the new Mitte Altona urban construction project. The barrier effect caused by the enclosed area of the former brewery will be removed by urban refurbishment, pathways will be expanded, and the existing urban quarters can grow together.