HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT - HAMBURG'S MOST EXPENSIVE NEW APARTMENTS

The luxurious high-rise buildings The Crown and Fiftynine will not be completed until 2023, but a large portion of the apartments have already been sold.

HAFENCITY :: The 75 condominiums in the luxury high-rise The Crown at Strandkai in HafenCity will not be ready for occupancy until mid-2023. However, 62 apartments have already been sold, and four more are reserved. This includes the 415-square-meter penthouse on the 15th and 16th floors, which offers unobstructed water views and ceiling heights of up to six meters. Future owners will also have views of the Elbphilharmonie and downtown Hamburg.

The penthouse comes with four rooftop terraces, where Mediterranean trees will be planted. The buyer can enjoy three bedrooms, three living rooms, and three bathrooms, including a sauna. The exclusive apartment reportedly costs more than ten million euros. The neighboring penthouse, with 426 square meters, is still available and is expected to cost around eleven million euros.

The average price per square meter in this development is 17,700 euros. This makes the apartments in the tower in the new "Be-Strandkai" district, ranging from 53 to 426 square meters, some of the most expensive in Hamburg. Despite this, more than 80 percent of the units have already been sold, over two years before the completion. This is even before public marketing has begun. "So far, we have only approached pre-registered clients of Dahler & Company and have been delighted with the strong demand. This is, of course, due to the exclusivity of this residential tower and its unique location directly on the Elbe River, with views of the Elbphilharmonie," says Björn Dahler, managing partner at DC Developments. The company is developing The Crown in collaboration with Aug. Prien Immobilien from Hamburg.

Björn Dahler is one of the city's most renowned luxury real estate agents and founded Dahler & Company with his wife Kirsten back in 1993. "We secured one of the most sought-after prime plots in HafenCity with Strandkai. The building, which resembles a crown at the top and stands out with its triangular balconies, sets new architectural standards," says Dahler in an interview with Abendblatt at his company's headquarters on Großer Grasbrook. From the conference room on the second floor, the industry expert can oversee the construction site. The Crown was designed by Düsseldorf star architect Christoph Ingenhoven.

It's not that wealthy oligarchs or sheikhs from Saudi Arabia are securing apartments in the luxury high-rise. "We mainly have buyers from Hamburg and the surrounding area. Some of them will use The Crown as a second residence. The combination of an estate on the outskirts of the city and a luxurious apartment in the bustling HafenCity is a perfect match," says Dahler.

HafenCity has developed into a top location in the Hanseatic city. This prestige contributes to the ability to command and obtain corresponding prices here. Reportedly, the agents at The Crown do not negotiate, and clients do not even try. "It's like our The Crown project in prime locations around the Alster. When you have an exceptional property in a coveted location, demand remains high even at prices exceeding two million euros," says Dahler.

Currently, the residential tower, which will feature a large restaurant space on the ground floor, is still under construction. So far, around 50,000 cubic meters of concrete have been used. Ten of the total 17 floors have been completed.

During an on-site visit at a high altitude, Lothar Schubert, who is also a managing partner at DC Developments, says: "We currently have about 130 construction workers on-site, working six days a week. We are on schedule." The real estate expert gazes out from the unfinished building at the Elbphilharmonie and the Köhlbrand Bridge. The Michel and the Dancing Towers on the Reeperbahn are also visible from here. Only a few clients have been given a tour of the construction site, Schubert says.

Instead, a configuration tool has been developed. This means that potential buyers can experience their future home on screen. "Each of the 75 apartments was meticulously and accurately designed, from fixtures to thoughtfully integrated furnishings, across all three design lines," says realtor Dahler.

Three interior design styles, developed by designers Randi Schumacher and Armin Panahi, are available. "Pure" stands out with its simple elegance, while "coco" features more luxurious marble and gold elements, according to Dahler. In "silk," opulent wood paneling catches the eye during the virtual tour of the apartment. However, customers will have to pay extra if they want their property furnished in one of these design variants. The purchase price only includes the apartment with luxurious bathrooms.

Back to the peninsula, which is a large construction site. In the "Be-Strandkai" quarter, DC Developments and Aug. Prien are also currently building 147 privately financed rental apartments next to The Crown. Another direct neighbor is 174 rental apartments being built by housing cooperatives, with "price-capped rents" expected to be around 14 euros per square meter. The residential tower Fiftynine, designed by Hamburg star architect Hadi Teherani, is also being realized on the construction site. Eight of the 16 floors have been completed so far. The first residents are expected to move in at the beginning of 2023. 73 of the 76 apartments have already been sold. At the tip of the Strandkai area, a public square is being developed by the city, with a promenade leading along the water.

MEDIUM:
Hamburger Abendblatt - Article from 25.02.2021

LOCATION:
Hamburg

AUTHOR:
Ulrich Gaßdorf

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