Hamburg Dammtor, one of the city’s largest railway stations, services the S- Bahn as well as regional and long distance trains. Often described as Germany’s finest railway station, originally built as an exemplary station for state visits, it is otherwise known as the Imperial Railway Station following its opening in 1903 in the presence of William II.
Railway Station in the Centre of the Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Centrally situated in St. Pauli, close to the Binnen Alster, as well as to and the Trade Fair and Congress Centre and with approximately 55 000 passengers passing through every day, it is one of the city’s most frequented stations.
After 100 years in use, extensive technical modernization and renovation proved necessary, as well as an up to date refurbishment of waiting areas, shopping facilities and platforms. In this case, the original historical architecture had to be restored and then modernized, incorporating high quality, modern building elements.
An Impressive Art Deco Construction
The large-scale sandstone masonry façade imparts an imposing appearance to the Art Deco style station building, protected by the cultural and historical heritage society. The interior is equally striking, a large hall, 112m long, 25m wide and 23.5m high, with its filigree ceiling construction and the generous, windows areas, contributing to an open and impressive look.
With care and great attention to the requirements of the cultural and historical heritage society, not only platforms, but the entire interior hall were remodeled. On the ground floor, entered into from several sides, wooden installations accommodated shops. A vaulted ceiling spans the whole service area, giving it a sophisticated appearance. A completely new station world of 6 500m² has been created, combining historical building substance with modern architectural elements.
Historical Architecture, Interpreted in a Modern Fashion
This tasteful design was also integrated into the platform areas, where a filigree, specially developed, wooden lamella design adorned the waiting rooms. During this renovation the platforms, lengthened by 200m within the bay, were stylishly roofed over.
The building is characterized by its clean structure and efficiency of the station architecture. Thus the intermediate level , administration and service, is accommodated and unnoticed by visitors. Two central platforms serve 850 train stops daily and efficiently. For this reason, Hamburg Dammtor was voted as Germany’s finest City railway station in 2006, due to this excellent symbiosis of efficiency and fine architecture.
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