An initiative for a Business Improvement District (BID) for Burchardplatz, together with the Ministry for Urban Development and Housing, held a corresponding urban development and open space planning competition in 2021 for the areas of Kattrepel, Burchardstraße, Burchardplatz, Mohlenhofstraße and the square east of the tip of the Chilehaus (now Peter-Schulz-Platz). An ideas section of the competition also included proposals for the design of the street spaces beyond the ones mentioned above, in order to create a "design framework" for the Kontorhaus district as a whole.
The adjoining Steinstrasse to the north is considered an independent planning area and should only be considered functionally or conceptually with regard to the north-south connections for pedestrians and cyclists (connection between Binnenalster and Speicherstadt). The design by Hamburg-based firm WES GmbH LandschaftsArchitektur was chosen as the winner in September 2021 from nine submissions from Germany and abroad.
The winning design deliberately intents the design of Burchardplatz as an "open space" that picks up on and reinforces the historical context of the surrounding area. It accentuates the monumentality of the Kontorhaus district and has the overarching goal of strengthening the historical qualities of the urban spaces from the time when the district was created and making them perceptible again. The redesign of Burchardplatz is one of the Senate's flagship projects for the further development of Hamburg's city center. It is based on the city center action plan.
WES GmbH LandschaftsArchitektur and traffic planning office ARGUS Stadt und Verkehr mbB were commissioned separately by the Hamburg-Mitte district authority and the BID initiative to carry out the planning. The planning integrates the regular involvement of all relevant authorities and the BID initiative. The commissioned offices completed the design planning in 2023.
In addition to the competition results, the requirements of various stakeholders must be brought together. The built space - particularly with regard to the World Heritage Site - requires detailed and integrated planning of the area, taking into account the measures in the wider surroundings. The owners of all the properties around Burchardplatz are closely involved in the planning process via the BID initiative, which is represented by the potential responsible body, Otto Wulff BID company. With the help of the BID, they want to upgrade parts of Burchardplatz and Mohlenhofstraße. Around 2.2 million euros is to be used for the planning and acquisition of high-quality materials.
The planned development of spacious ancillary areas will revitalize the adjacent first floor areas and promote outdoor gastronomy on Burchardplatz, as well as in Burchardstrasse and Mohlenhofstrasse. A weekly market and various temporary events will also be made possible. The planned water feature on Peter-Schulz-Platz will be an attraction for children and families. According to the current planning status, it is planned to integrate significantly more trees into the planning area. The goal is to plant around 24 new trees. After deducting the necessary felling of some trees, the number of trees in the Kontorhausviertel will increase from 30 to 44. Burchardplatz, Burchardstraße (East) and Peter-Schulz-Platz are to become a pedestrian zone with attractive seating, so that a high quality of stay is generated. The streets are to be fitted with tension cable lighting and pole-mounted luminaires are to be installed in the squares.
According to the current planning status, construction of the design modifications is scheduled to begin in fall 2025.
