Eine Perle der Klinkerkultur
Das Chilehaus ist ein von 1922 bis 1924 erbautes Kontorhaus im Hamburger Kontorhausviertel. Die Architektur von Fritz Höger war beispielgebend für den Backsteinexpressionismus der 1920er Jahre, der von Backsteingotik und Expressionismus inspiriert war.
When talking or thinking about Hamburg’s Kontorhaus District, the Chilehaus on Burchardplatz inevitably comes to mind, as it is more representative of this area than any other building. One might even think that the Kontorhaus block, built in 1922-1924 by Fritz Höger on commission for Henry Brarens Sloman, is better known and more famous than the neighbourhood in which it stands.
With, but not only because of its striking lace, which is also reminiscent of a ship’s bow thanks to the Andean condor designed as a figurehead on the ground floor, Chilehaus is indisputably the landmark of the Kontorhaus district. This predestined position is impressively demonstrated and reinforced by an environment completely tailored to it.
The Chilehaus looks the way it looks, because it is supposed to fill exactly this role. With up to ten storeys, it is not only the highest building in this area, but also offers the largest gross floor area with 36,000m².
Chilehaus has been a listed building since 1983 and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015 together with the Kontorhaus district.
Das Chilehaus in Zahlen
Das Chilehaus wurde am 1. April 1924 fertiggestellt. 4.000 Handwerker waren am Bau beteiligt. Auf der Grundfläche von 5.950 Quadratmetern erhebt sich das Gebäude auf 18.000 laufenden Metern Rammpfählen mit einer Gesamtnutzfläche von 36.000 Quadratmetern. Der Erdaushub hatte 20.000 Kubikmeter betragen; man hatte 750 Güterwagen Zement, 30.000 Kubikmeter Kies, 1.600 Tonnen Rundeisen, 900.000 Stück Deckenhohlsteine, 4,8 Millionen Stück Ziegelsteine und 3,5 Kilometer Dachrinnen aus Zinkblech verarbeitet. Den Bau durchzogen 15 Kilometer Rohrleitungen, 2.800 Fenster geben den Büroräumen Licht.
Chilehaus then
FAQ
Weshalb heißt das Gebäude Chilehaus?
The client was shipowner Henry B. Sloman, who had acquired his fortune by trading in saltpetre from Chile. In Hamburg it was customary to give the Kontorhäuser names.
Wer war Henry Brarens Sloman?
Henry Brarens Sloman (* 28 August 1848 in Kingston upon Hull; † 24 October 1931 in Hamburg) was a British-German entrepreneur and private banker. After finishing an apprenticeship as a locksmith, Sloman decided to emigrate to Chile in 1869. After 22 years as an employee, Sloman went into business for himself in Chile in 1892 with the saltpetre factory “Gute Hoffnung” in Tocopilla. In 1898 he returned to Hamburg as a rich man. In 1924 Sloman founded the Finanzbank AG.
Hat Architekt Fritz Höger noch weitere Gebäude im Kontorhausviertel erbaut?
In addition to the Chilehaus, Fritz Höger (* 12 June 1877 in Bekenreihe near Elmshorn; † 21 June 1949 in Bad Segeberg) planned the Sprinkenhof together with Hans Gerson (* 19 March 1881 in Magdeburg; † 14 October 1931 in Hamburg) and Oskar Gerson (* 11 July 1886 in Magdeburg; † 25 December 1966 in Berkeley, California).
Wurde das Chilehaus im Zweiten Weltkrieg beschädigt?
Yes, there was a bomb hit on the fifth floor, which you can still see today if you look closely. Fortunately, the building remained otherwise unscathed. Far worse was the Speicherstadt, which was largely destroyed.
Wie wird das Gebäude heute genutzt?
The building is still used as an office building. The owner is Union Investment.
Welche Bereiche des Chilehauses kann man besichtigen?
Das Gebäude ist grundsätzlich nicht zu besichtigen, sondern wird als Bürogebäude genutzt.
Bieten Sie Führungen an?
Guided tours are offered by the Hamburg tour guides. For further information please contact the Speicherstadtmuseum or Hamburg Tourismus. The building is open to the public on the day of the open monument. Union Investment organizes guided tours on this day.