Chilehaus

The Chilehaus (Chile House) is a ten-story office building in Hamburg, Germany. It is located in the Kontorhaus District. It is an exceptional example of the 1920s Brick Expressionism style of architecture. This large angular building is located on a site of approximately 6,000m², spanning the Fischertwiete Street in Hamburg. It was designed by the German architect Fritz Höger and finished in 1924.

Chilehaus
Chilehaus in Hamburg by Fritz Höger
Shown within Hamburg
Chilehaus (Germany)
General information
TypeOffice building
Architectural styleBrick Expressionism
LocationHamburg, Germany
Coordinates53.5480°N 10.0016°E / 53.5480; 10.0016
Construction started1921
Completed1924
OwnerUnion Investment Real Estate AG
Technical details
Floor count10
Design and construction
ArchitectFritz Höger
Official nameChilehaus
Typecultural
Criteriaiv
Designated2015
Part ofSpeicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus
Reference no.1467

Design
Chilehaus: Inner courtyard

The Chilehaus building is famed for its top, which is reminiscent of a ship's prow, and the facades, which meet at a very sharp angle at the corner of the Pumpen- and Niedernstrasse. The best view of the building is from the east. Because of the accentuated vertical elements and the recessed upper stories, as well as the curved facade on the Pumpen street, the building has, despite its enormous size, a touch of lightness.

The building has a reinforced concrete structure and has been built with the use of 4.8 million dark Oldenburg bricks.[1] The building is constructed on very difficult terrain, so to gain stability it was necessary to build on 16-meter-deep reinforced-concrete pilings.

The location's close vicinity to the Elbe River necessitated a specially sealed cellar, and heating equipment was constructed in a caisson that can float within the building, so the equipment can't be damaged in the event of flooding.

The sculptural elements in the staircases and on the facade were provided by the sculptor Richard Kuöhl.

The building hosts one of the few remaining working paternoster lifts in the world.

History

The Chilehaus building was designed by the architect Fritz Höger and built between 1922 and 1924. It was commissioned by the shipping magnate Henry B. Sloman, who made his fortune trading saltpeter from Chile, hence the name Chile House. The cost of construction is difficult to determine, as the Chile House was built during the period of hyperinflation that struck Germany during the early 1920s, but is estimated to have been more than 10 million reichsmark. Currently it is property of the German real-estate company Union Investment Real Estate AG. The Hamburg site of the Instituto Cervantes is one of the renters.[2]

  • Chilehaus at night
  • Aerial view, Kontorhausviertel
  • Entrance A - note the Coat of arms of Chile atop the gates.
  • Facade details
  • A condor, national bird of Chile.
  • Ornaments at the tip
  • Courtyard

References
  1. Thiel-Siling, Sabine (ed.): Icons of Architecture", Prestel, 1998, ISBN 3-7913-3398-4
  2. (in Spanish) Instituto Cervantes de Hamburgo
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