Stralsund „Northern harbour island“
By upgrading the northern harbour island in terms of urban development and by building the “Ozeaneum”, a new centre of attraction was created helping to revive the old town making it more interesting.
Context
In Hanseatic times, the harbour was the basis for the economic development of Stralsund into a prosperous commercial town. Between 1862 and 1868, the docks were expanded when the northern and southern parts of the harbour island on the seaward side of the old town were widened. While the southern part was intended for storage, which is why specific harbour buildings were built, a mixture of warehouses, residential and commercial buildings was established on the northern part of the island.
At GDR times, there were few efforts to restore buildings on the harbour island, which led to an increasing loss of functions and to decay especially of the northern part of the island. Since the 60s, the harbour had also been prohibited area and, by 1990, inaccessible for the inhabitants.
The old town of Stralsund (approx. 57,000 inhabitants, 2010), was integrated in a special funding programme on urban renewal model projects in 1990. In the context of this programme, changing the use of buildings on the northern harbour island was a focus. Expanding the southern harbour island and the southern harbour for handling cargo led to a lack of functions on the northern harbour island, on the one hand. On the other hand, the areas provided enormous potential for the development of the old town.
Project description
Source: Hansestadt Stralsund, Bauamt
When in 1992, the northern harbour island together with the old town was designated as redevelopment area, the development objective for the harbour island had not yet been defined. In order to keep all options open, the areas were designated as core area within the master plan. Based on the history and tradition of the maritime trading city, the northern harbour island was to become a centre of maritime tourism offers.
In the mid-90s, the quays and bridges of the northern harbour islands were restored. Investors began to refurbish some of the buildings and to alter them into pubs and hotels and partly into flats.
The greatest change took place, when, in 1997, the Foundation German Oceanographic Museum, which had already operated a museum in the old town, was looking for a site to build a second oceanographic museum focusing on North Sea and Baltic Sea exhibitions (“Ozeaneum“). Expecting that a second museum would lead to commuter traffic between both museum sites and attract more visitors to the old town, the local government decided to build a new museum on the northern harbour island.
The purchase of plots and their reallocation paved the way for the new museum. Following an urban development competition, the “Ozeanum” was built in 2005. Since 2008, the museum has been housing huge aquariums and a multi-media exhibition. While the museum was built, the local government arranged the redesign of the free and transport areas on the northern harbour island.
Building the Ozeanum was a milestone in revitalising the harbour island. Since then, private investors have refurbished further buildings and changed their uses into gastronomic businesses, hotels or shops, partly also into flats. Designating the harbour island as a historical site helped the local government to control and regulate building measures for new buildings, redevelopment measures for existing buildings and measures to change the use of existing buildings. By maintaining the historical structure and renewing old buildings, especially the characteristic warehouses, according to the protection guidelines for historical monuments, much of the original character of the harbour island could be preserved.
The harbour island is still defined as harbour area. It serves as a dock for cruise liners and cutters, as a point of departure for boat trips round the harbour and it offers various berths for motorboats. The Gorch Fock, a museum ship, as well, permanently lies in anchor at the harbour island.
Project chronology
Year | Event |
---|---|
1992 | Designated as redevelopment area |
1997 | Decision taken to build the "Ozeaneum” |
2000 | Northern and southern harbour island designated as historical sites listed for preservation |
2001-2002 | “Ozeaneum” urban development competition |
2005 | Construction of “Ozeaneum” started; open space planned |
2008 | “Ozeaneum” opened |
Since 2009 | Various modernisation and building measures |
Aims
- To open the old town towards the water
- To integrate the northern harbour island in the city environment
- To create attractive offers with public appeal
- To preserve historical structures and the urban silhouette
Types of measures
- Refurbishing the docks
- Acquiring and reallocating plots
- Constructing the “Ozeaneum”
- Urban redevelopment measures
- Urban development master plan
- Ordinance for the preservation of monuments
- Urban development competition
- Legally binding land-use plan
- Modernising buildings
- New constructions
Innovations
Source: Hansestadt Stralsund, Bauamt
The Hanseatic city of Stralsund has been very patient and made enough time to avoid mistakes and to find an adequate concept for the harbour island area. The long-term overall urban redevelopment strategy considerably contributed to turning the old town of Stralsund into a vital centre.
The “Ozeaneum” presently is one of the mostly visited museums in Germany and got the European Museum of the Year 2010 Award for its extraordinary concept. The old town as well benefits from the visitors of the harbour island and the museum. The "dumbbell principle” with two magnets, the maritime museum in the west and the “Ozeaneum” in the east of the old town bring visitors and new impetus to the centre of the city.
Sources
- “Integrated waterfront development” on the BBSR homepage http://www.bbsr.bund.de/BBSR/DE/Veroeffentlichungen/BMVBS/WP/2011/heft77_DL.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2
- Interview with Ekkehard Wohlgemuth, Astrid Mattern, local construction department, 6 August 2010Stadtverordnung über die Ausweisung des Denkmalbereiches „Hafeninsel“ in Stralsund (Denkmalverordnung „Hafeninsel) (City ordinance designating the listed historical “harbour island” area in Stralsund (Ordinance for the preservation of the “harbour island”), VO 60.04, Hansestadt Stralsund (Hanseatic City of Stralsund), Der Oberbürgermeister (Lord Mayor) (ed.), 2000
Further information
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 18439 - town: Stralsund - street: Hafenstraße.
Poject site on Google-Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/MdsYv1tnuwk
Last update: 22.01.2017