Project Description: 

The project Archive now explores the historic soul of Hamburg’s exchange commerce. The design approach aims to archive ‘today’, the present and individualism of Hamburg ‘the free city’. Encouraging visitors to engage in trade of anything they wish to offer whilst exploring current Hamburg in process. 

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Situated on the southern site Archive now sits between the river Elbe and the elevated land. The materiality of brick arches compliments the context alongside the contrast of the white polycarbonate facade which allows activity to show throughout the building. With the elongated bridge to the east of the site and Lohsepark to west, the building offers a spectrum of private and public spaces to use. The visitors utilize the building market typologies to discover the universal archive that changes daily. Within the project a combination of market forms and functions have been used to allow the user several experiences alongside needed services. 

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Market principles such as Aztec, Forums and Souk/Bazaars have been incorporated into the interior program offering places of exchange, archival, education, food, and creative activity. By using the process of a market time line from production to disposal the building functions from top to bottom efficiently with the creatives on higher floors through to recycling and re-purposing on the lower floors. Archive Now represents the collective archive of Hamburg bringing a new perspective to the city’s collection of ideas, people, and rich culture of historic markets. 

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