IBA Hamburg

Leap Across the Elbe

The largest populated river island in Europe, Wilhelmsburg, as well as Veddel and the Harburg inland port were made up the project area of IBAIBA Internationale Bauausstellung Hamburg from 2006-2013. On the Elbe islands, both the problems and the potential of today’s metropolises were pooled: a torn urban fabric and an international urban society. With some 70 projects, IBA Hamburg changed the face of these previously highly neglected areas completely.

The major topic of IBA Hamburg under the leadership of Uli Hellweg was developing the southern quarters of Hamburg and using them to allow the booming metropolis to grow internally. IBA Hamburg dedicated itself to this in three key areas, its guiding themes:

Cosmopolis: How can an increasingly international urban community deploy its potential? Good educational and cultural facilities promote a future-proof coexistence on the Elbe islands.

Metrozones: What urban development opportunities do borders and transitional zones within a metropolis offer? And how can these areas become liveable quarters?

Cities and Climate Change: How can growth and sustainability be combined? What could a climate-friendly future for metropolises look like?

The gradual image change of the Elbe islands was also to be promoted by the IBA Convention. With their signature, important Hamburg players committed themselves as IBA partners. With their support, they helped to root the IBA Hamburg locally.

In the presentation year 2013 alone, over 420,000 visitors came to see IBA Hamburg. In total, 70 architectural, cultural, social or ecological projects had been implemented by then. This included over 1,200 apartments that were still under construction or had already been completed.

The financial volume was also considerable. A total of 300 Million Euros in public investment was triggered and more than 700 Million Euros in private investment was initiated by IBA Hamburg. After the end of the International Building Exhibition, IBA Hamburg GmbHGmbH GmbH is still active as a municipal project developer.