Archaeological excavations

Between the port and Hamburg's city center lies the historic Kontorhausviertel, which was settled around the year 1200 in the course of the city's expansion. A new Motel One hotel is currently being built on the site on Große Reichenstrasse. However, before construction work could begin, the construction site had to be archaeologically investigated. The hotel is being built in the area of the former Reichenstrasse island. This area was built up with typical Old Hamburg town houses, combining living and working under one roof.

For eight months, the Hamburg Archaeological Museum investigated the site for remnants of the first settlements from Hamburg's founding period, and it paid off. Using old foundation walls, wooden foundation piles, and the wooden mesh used in the Middle Ages, the museum reconstructed the house and plot structures from the overlapping periods there. In addition, the museum staff recovered, in particular through the discovery of a latrine, everyday objects such as coins but also a small iron tap with a decoration in the form of a chick.

The new building, designed by Gössler, Kinz, Kerber, Kreienbaum Architekten from Hamburg, also has a brick façade in the style of classic Hamburg brick architecture, which vertically takes up the plot structure of the neighboring buildings with different reveal elements in sections. The building extends over three underground and ten above-ground floors. The upper five floors are stepped back in accordance with the connecting heights of the surroundings. The top floor will also feature a skybar for public use. The Motel One Kontorhaus will have approximately 460 rooms; completion is scheduled for the 3rd quarter of 2023.