HAMBURGER DOMPLATZ A haven of peace in Hamburg's city centre

HAMBURG'S CELL

The Domplatz is of central historical importance for the city of Hamburg. Here was not only the nucleus of the city with the Hammaburg, here also stood for 800 years the Mariendom. The latter was surrounded by a rampart of 140 m in diameter before the cathedral was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century. In the last 60 years the gravelled area was used as a parking lot, its significance remained hidden. Only a Senate resolution on the construction of a temporary garden changed this state of affairs.

A GREEN PLACE WITH A LUMINOUS HISTORY

After its redesign, Domplatz now appears as a generous green space with lawns and trees. However, the historical references that structure the square today are special. The former cathedral castle was recreated as a sculptural rampart made of sheet steel and suggests a framing of the square. At the heart of the site are 42 seat cushions made of white acrylic. They show the locations of the columns of the old St. Mary's Cathedral and thus, together with the ramparts, give an idea of the size and shape of the former complex. This can be experienced particularly well from dusk onwards, when the seat cushions begin to glow.