Competitions

Creative competition

The significance of public space and the quality of the built environment are undisputed in our society. When it comes to large-scale construction projects, it goes without saying that this quality can best be achieved and maintained by holding a competition for ideas to find the best solution for urban planning, architectural, structural or artistic tasks. Accordingly, there is a guideline for planning competitions in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

"Competitions challenge creative forces in a competitive comparison and promote innovative and sustainable solutions for future-oriented environmental design. Citizens can be involved in determining the objectives of the competition."

RPW Directive 2015

The principles

All rules for such competitions in Germany are based on fundamental principles and rules defined as early as 1867. These principles remain valid to this day:

Equal treatment of all participants in the competition, including in the application process
Clear and unambiguous task specification
Reasonable price-performance ratio
Expert judging panel
Anonymity of competition entries

The areas of responsibility

Competitions cover the following areas in particular: urban development, urban planning, urban design, landscape and open space planning, building and interior design, civil engineering and transport infrastructure planning, and technical planning.

All competitions in detail

Below, we present the completed competitions for the planning of Oberbillwerder. First and foremost was the competitive dialogue, which laid the foundation for the Oberbillwerder master plan.

Competitive dialogue

The size of the Oberbillwerder planning area and the significance of the new district for Hamburg required an EU-wide procedure. It began in the summer of 2017 with a participation competition in which 12 internationally renowned planning teams, consisting of urban planning, landscape planning and architecture disciplines, qualified to participate in the competitive dialogue.

Winners of the Green Loop and Activity Park competition

Planning offices competed to develop concepts for the Green Loop and Activity Park in Oberbillwerder. The 160,000 m² park is to be versatile and contribute to drainage. Designs were exhibited on 10 July 2023, and citizens were able to provide feedback.

Winner of the open space planning competition ‘Oberbillwerder – Central Axis and Fleet Square in Bergedorf’

On March 24th 2025, the jury, chaired by Prof. Anna Lundqvist, unanimously selected three winners. Prior to this, the competition entries were displayed in a public exhibition on March 23rd. Here, around 120 visitors were able to get an idea of the planned developments and comment on the designs. The jury was then informed of the results.

First Mobility Hubs for Oberbillwerder

Multifunctional, high-quality mobility and community centres are to be built in Hamburg’s 105th district, Oberbillwerder. These so-called mobility hubs will make it possible to largely dispense with parking spaces on public roads. For the first two mobility hubs, which will be built in the railway district, IBA Hamburg held a competition for ideas.