Caspar Architects

Freshfields Office Building

Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling

Freshfields Office Building

caspar

ARCHITECTS
caspar

AREA
16300 m²

YEAR
2009

PHOTOGRAPHS
Stefan Schilling

MANUFACTURERS
batimet

LEAD ARCHITECT
Frank Schreer

CLIENTS
The Carlyle Group

LANDSCAPE
FSWLA Landschaftsarchitektur GmbH

LOCATION
Hamburg, Germany

CATEGORY  
Office Buildings

Text description provided by architect.

The Freshfields House is located right in Hamburg’s city centre, near the historic “Hansa-Quarter”.

Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling
Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling
Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling

Its cubature references the traditional “Stapelhäuser” (historic warehouses) of the old Hanseatic city.

The eight story new building provides 10,800 square meters of office space as well as generous retail spaces for shops on the ground floor.

The building recesses from the fifth floor onwards and blends harmoniously into its surrounding neighbourhood.

Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling
Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling
Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling

Terraces and balconies on the south side as well as the spacious roof terrace on the seventh floor not only enrich the office spaces but also provide an inviting look.

Light-coloured pillars, a natural stone grid that is placed slightly into the background and the glass layer behind determine the façade. The tectonic layering creates an interesting shadow play structuring the building.

Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling
Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling
Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling

Slim, high pillars emphasize the verticality of the Freshfields House and support its Hanseatic character in combination with the white natural stone’s nobility.

The main entrance of the building leads through a spacious green atrium that opens upwards over three levels and thus encourages communication and exchange across the floors.

A further entrance leads to a separate single-story hall, which can be used for events.

Freshfields Office Building
© Stefan Schilling


Freshfields Office Building
First floor plan
Freshfields Office Building
Fifth floor plan


Freshfields Office Building
Site plan

Caspar Architects
T +49 221 9920790 F +49 221 99207999
Caspar Architects
Erftstraße 17, 50672 Köln, Germany