Speicherstadtrathaus, Administrative building in HafenCity, Germany
The Speicherstadtrathaus is an administrative building in Hamburg's Speicherstadt district made of red brick with accents of gray Oberkirchen sandstone. The structure features a bell tower and was constructed on 463 oak pilings to support it above the waterlogged ground.
Built between 1902 and 1904, the structure served as the headquarters for the Hamburg Free Port Warehouse Company during Speicherstadt's growth as a storage district. A 2002 renovation modernized its operations while the building itself remained functional throughout major changes in Hamburg's history.
The building combines Romanesque arches with Renaissance windows, while its interior spaces feature Art Nouveau elements showing curved forms in tiles and wood panels. This mix of styles reflects the craftsmanship valued during the early 1900s and gives the rooms a sense of intentional design from that era.
Access to the interior is limited as the building currently serves as the headquarters of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, a major port company. You can view the exterior and appreciate the architecture while walking through the Speicherstadt district.
The building survived World War II completely unharmed, even as surrounding parts of Hamburg experienced heavy destruction during the conflict. Its interior contains black slate slabs with embedded fossils, details that become apparent when looking closely at the materials.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
