Empire Riverside Hotel
David Chipperfield Architects were appointed with the design following a competition in 2002. The hotel, with its unique position above St. Paulis Landungsbrücken, has 328 rooms and spectacular views over the River Elbe.
The hotel complex consists of three different staggered volumes: the 20-storey hotel tower, the Lshaped base of the hotel and the Brauhaus, a retail and office building. Situated on the former Bavaria brewery grounds, the 74 m high hotel tower rises above the city, creating a new visual landmark in Hamburgs skyline.
Inside, the hotel building is segmented into two areas. The public area, housing the lobby, conference rooms, restaurant, breakfast room, ballroom and lounge, is located in the base of the complex. In the centre of the base, a four-storey high entrance hall visually links the public facilities through its open structure. The seventeen storeys of the tower accommodate the private hotel rooms and suites. A bar on the 20th floor offers panoramic views of the city.
The glass-bronze façade is structured with a post-beam construction, covering the buildings as a homogenous layer, unifying the different volumes and providing a subtle backdrop for the neighbouring architecture.
The hotel is owned by the Fraatz and Bartels families, who also own the Hotel Hafen Hamburg.
