Architect
products & services
paving-stones ● seating-elements ● slabs ● special-elements
Location
Herbert-Wehner-Platz, 21073 Harburg
How do you translate the fleeting image of rising smoke rings into tonnes of solid granite? In Hamburg-Harburg, precisely this challenge became the guiding idea for an extraordinary piece of urban furniture. Five monumental rings made of light natural stone now form the centerpiece of the newly redesigned Herbert-und-Greta-Wehner-Platz. They are the built response to a distinctive trademark of the square’s namesake: the ever-present clouds of pipe smoke surrounding Herbert Wehner.
Stretching 140 metres, Herbert-und-Greta-Wehner-Platz forms the central link to Harburg’s city centre. As a highly frequented transition between the Phoenix-Center, the Harburg Arcaden and the Lüneburger Straße pedestrian zone, the area was fundamentally reorganised as part of the expansion of cycle route Veloroute 11.
The redesign by POLA Landschaftsarchitekten demonstrates how biographical motifs can be translated into functional object design. Herbert Wehner, who shaped Germany’s political landscape for more than 34 years, was hardly imaginable without his pipe. The planners transformed this characteristic image into a lasting and physically tangible form in stone.
The 6,000 square metre site was paved with reddish clinker bricks laid in a classic herringbone pattern. The choice pays homage to Wehner’s distinctive tweed suits. The texture of the herringbone pattern transfers the character of woven fabric into the urban space, creating an ordered and almost domestic atmosphere. Yet the square reveals its full aesthetic tension only in combination with the light natural stone of the seating elements. While the clinker forms a warm and finely structured base, five large scale granite rings set monumental accents.
Crafted from light belgrano® granite supplied by BESCO Berliner Steincontor GmbH, the rings introduce a dynamic rhythm to the square through their varying radii. While four of the rings are loosely arranged across the plaza, the largest element draws every eye: a monumental circular sofa with an outer length of around 35 metres. Passersby instinctively use the massive surfaces to place their shopping bags, pause briefly, or sit down for a quiet conversation.
At the beginning there was a simple, intuitive hand sketch by the architects that already captured the vision of the flowing forms. To transform this idea into buildable elements, BESCO and the participating producers supported the planners in translating the designs into precise technical specifications. Through targeted coordination, the geometry was systematically refined for stone fabrication so that aesthetics, structural integrity and compliance with standards could be brought together.
The vision was ultimately transferred into digital datasets. Its realization required the highest level of precision. For the forms to flow seamlessly without visual interruptions, digital planning and machine fabrication had to align perfectly.
Compared with many artificially manufactured building materials, belgrano® granite stands out through an excellent primary energy balance and an almost unlimited service life. While the production of concrete or composite materials is often energy intensive, granite as a natural product benefits from its geological formation and a comparatively resource efficient finishing process.
Another decisive advantage in terms of circular construction is the material’s reusability. The solid elements can be lifted and reinstalled even decades later in a different location. In addition, belgrano® natural stone proves to be highly resistant to vandalism and extremely dimensionally stable compared with artificial materials.
At a time when many cities rely on interchangeable and short lived materials, Harburg has chosen a different path. The decision in favour of natural stone is far more than an aesthetic choice. It represents an appreciative and economically far sighted investment in the quality of public space within this district.
The Herbert-und-Greta-Wehner-Platz has thus become a welcoming anchor point in the urban fabric: a lasting place for those everyday moments that otherwise fade far too quickly, much like the smoke from Wehner’s pipe once did.
Find out more about the use and range of applications of natural stone.
Design elements ● Pedestrian zones & city squares ● Seating elements
