The AlTow is a tower that brings a new program complexity to the port of Hamburg, which is nowadays facing a significant transition.
AlTow is an attempt to introduce all missing content of the harbor district in a single building. AlTow creates a new community life and revivals the area for the real citizens of Hamburg.
As the river bank area is quite cramped, we propose a new high rise providing new affordable housing while giving back even more public spaces than it took.
In our narrow site we celebrate a walkway from the topography edge to the waterfront passing through the building. The first three floors are opened to create a free gap toward the Elbe river waterfront.
The apartments are organized partially as co-housing to offer more quality spaces and different experiences for their residents.
The bearing structure is a hybrid of wood (CLT, glulam) and concrete. The circulation core is made of concrete to provide enough stiffness and fire safety for the structure.
The wooden structure is designed in a 4 m grid, however, in some places, it is replaced by CLT shear walls to transfer the loads and free the plan.