The scope of services of M&P
- BIM-based planning of the Überseequartier
- High levels of self-sufficiency and information security thanks to 200 Building IoT stations – ILC2050 BI control system from project partner Phoenix Contact Germany.
- Open system architecture for greater flexibility through the use of communicative (bus) technologies.
- On-time delivery through agile procurement and planning concepts
- Parallel planning, execution and project management
- Smoke extraction concept with 132 fire scenarios
Hamburg has gained another attraction: on 8 April 2025, Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier opened its doors. Visitors can discover numerous shops here, go to the city’s largest cinema, visit exhibitions or enjoy culinary highlights. The fact that the planned opening date was met is due in no small part to the efforts of the M&P experts. They stayed on course even during turbulent phases of the project.
A new highlight for HafenCity
Situated between the River Elbe and the historic Speicherstadt, the Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier has emerged as a new destination offering a range of experiences and a sense of well-being. As well as a wide variety of shops, restaurants, bars and cafés, the complex is home to ‘Kinopolis’, Hamburg’s largest cinema with ten screens and just under 2,200 seats. The Port des Lumières also opens up new perspectives: this exhibition centre for immersive art brings works by major artists such as Gustav Klimt and Friedensreich Hundertwasser to life in a digital space.
Hamburg’s Lord Mayor, Dr Peter Tschentscher, expressed his enthusiasm at the opening:
“Right on the waterfront between the harbour and the historic centre, a new district has emerged that embodies Hamburg’s identity: modern yet steeped in tradition, situated in the heart of the city on historic harbour land with a view out to the world. As of today, Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier is part of this.”
The district also boasts excellent transport links: its own underground station, as well as bus routes and other transport options, connect the new district with the Hamburg metropolitan region.
M&P: a reliable partner from the very beginning
This is one of Hamburg’s most prestigious projects, which M&P has been supporting since the planning phase, working in partnership with Phoenix Contact Germany as a digitalisation partner. Using the BIM method, planning was managed with precision, resources were utilised efficiently, and the foundations were laid for sustainable operations (see also the M&P Yearbook 2022/23).
So far, so good. Nevertheless, the Überseequartier project suddenly found itself in rough waters: Supply bottlenecks resulting from the pandemic and geopolitical crises put the schedule to the test. Yet even in rough seas, the M&P team’s ability to stay on course proved its worth: flexible procurement strategies, restructuring of the concepts and a high degree of decision-making capability ensured that the project could be completed on schedule despite all the adversities.
Model photo: © Christian Kneise
Rescuing the planning process with decision-making expertise during an ongoing project
When the requirements changed several times during the construction phase – for example, due to new tenants with additional requests regarding building automation – M&P’s strengths became particularly evident. Within a very short space of time, the company put together a team of 14 specialists who drove forward the planning, execution and project management in parallel. The implementation planning alone was completely revised three times – a testament to the flexibility and problem-solving expertise of the M&P experts.
“We had to plan, execute and supervise simultaneously – all leading up to the opening day,” recalls M&P expert David. “During the project phase, we gained so much insight and saw such shifts in perspectives and requirements regarding the initial planning that we were able to introduce new ideas and incorporate improvements on several occasions.”
Expertise, even when the going gets tough
The closely networked, interdisciplinary collaboration across various M&P sites – planning in Paderborn and Braunschweig, on-site project supervision in Hamburg – demonstrates just how effectively the M&P Group operates. This expertise did not go unnoticed by other project stakeholders either: as a result, M&P was awarded an additional contract to develop a smoke extraction matrix for the entire neighbourhood.
Put simply: if a fire breaks out anywhere in the Überseequartier, the fire alarm is triggered. A signal is sent to the ventilation system, which, in an emergency, activates and closes dampers and fans.
“We have identified around 132 fire scenarios, all of which result in different damper positions. To be more precise: 14 control systems with interlinked sequences involving around 70 supply air fans, around 90 smoke extraction fans, around 60 supply air doors and around 3,000 ventilation dampers. We’ve run through every possible scenario. This is the largest smoke extraction system in the whole of Europe,” says David proudly.
Commitment beyond the opening
M&P’s involvement does not end with the opening of Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier: our teams will continue to support the client during the operational phase to ensure that the new district functions reliably from a technical perspective and that both visitors and operators benefit in the long term.
M&P – expertise that gets projects to their destination. And beyond.
A future-ready model for urban coexistence
The new Überseequartier in Hamburg’s HafenCity is a forward-looking model for urban coexistence.
Find out here why M&P consistently prioritised digitalisation in the planning process right from the start.
Images: © Moka-studio