Blohm+Voss announces new 287m covered floating dock in Port of Hamburg

A new sophisticated hall-like construction from the drawing board of German architect, Werner Sobek, will reinvent Blohm+Voss’ Dock 10 as Europe’s largest covered floating dock and integrate it into the world-famous Hamburg harbour.

With the development of this roof, Lürssen is continuing to invest in the modernisation of its Hamburg shipyard. Not only will this new structure offer improve occupational health and safety and help to reduce emissions, it will also mean the shipyard will be better-equipped for confidential projects and the oftentimes temperamental Hamburg weather.

In covering the 287-metre (942-foot) floating dock, Lürssen has invested more than €13 million (£10.9 million) into the upgrade of the Blohm+Voss dock infrastructure. Dr. Klaus Borgschulte, chairman of the supervisory board for Blohm+Voss, said, “The renovation enables us to significantly expand the range of repairs and refit services for existing and potential customers of yachts, naval and cruise ships. It also further increases the appeal of the location, especially for our yacht customers. In addition, we will significantly improve the working conditions for our employees and make ourselves less dependent on the weather. Thanks to the new roof, we will be able to also significantly reduce noise emissions and energy consumption.”

The proposal for the design was accepted because the unique design grants owners the possibility to display their shops within the floating dock, if desired. The design is appropriate for its prominent location, and takes other important aspects into account such as technical feasibility and manageability whilst in operation. In the future, the structure will consist of a framework of panels along the length of the dock, which are alternately arranged inwards and outwards. Through these panels are stretched and curved, folds of reflection and shadow are created that act as an accent along the length of the dock, which are alternatively arranged inwards and outwards.

Overall, the design by Werner Sobek provides a clever answer to the necessary construction and material requirements of the yard, in the best interest of the people working in the dock and also the regular dock movements.

Sobek commented, “The textile cover is poetic and useful at the same time. It protects people and objects from the rigours of the weather without disturbing the visual relationships between inside and outside. Dock 10 will be a significant complement to Hamburg’s beautiful cityscape.”

The construction of the new structure at Blohm+Voss is planned to begin in mid-2020, also using the neighbouring 351-metre (1152-foot) Elbe 17 dock. For this reason, the yacht currently lying in Elbe 17 will first be moved into Dock 10 and then both the yacht and sock will be re-docked together in Elbe 17. The work on the yacht will continue unabated during the construction of the new roof. After an expected construction time of around six months, the floating dock and the yacht inside will both be relocated to the Lürssen Berne shipyard in Bremen until the vessel’s scheduled date of completion.

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