Werner Sobek designs the canopy for Dock 10 and thus the largest covered floating dock in Europe is created.
Dock 10, a floating dock of the Lürssen shipyard Blohm+Voss, is located in the heart of Hamburg, opposite the highly frequented landing stages. In the course of a structural workshop process, Werner Sobek designed a translucent membrane roofing for this structure. Under the protection of the textile hull, new buildings and repairs of ships can in future be carried out more independently of weather conditions and with a high proportion of natural daylight. The enclosure will also significantly reduce noise emissions.
Canopy for Dock 10 by Werner Sobek
Inspired by the maritime tradition of the location, the design combines the efficiency of lightweight constructions with the aesthetics of materials typical of shipbuilding. Opaque, slightly translucent textile surfaces reminiscent of sails stretch between the alternating inward and outwardly oriented trussed girders of the longitudinal facades. On the northern façade, the textile surfaces are not only translucent, but also partly transparent. Viewers on the opposite bank of the Elbe can thus gain an insight into the work going on in the dock through a shop window. The lightness of the facades is enhanced by the contrast with the lower part of the floating dock and the shadow gap between them.
Dock 10 © Werner Sobek Lürssen
The canopy equips the dock for the weather in Hamburg. With the enclosure of the 287 m long floating dock, the Bremen parent company is investing more than 13 million euros in the modernisation of the dock infrastructure, thus further strengthening the Hamburg shipyard location.
The design was penned by the Stuttgart architect and engineer Professor Dr. Werner Sobek, who is known for so-called engineering architecture. The 240 m long, 35 m high and more than 40 m wide hall construction will in future consist of lattice columns on the long side, which are arranged alternately turned inwards and outwards. The curved surfaces stretched between them create a folding which will enliven the long side by reflection and shadow casting. In this way, the floating dock is stylishly staged and integrates it into the world-famous Hamburg harbour panorama.
Dock 10 © Werner Sobek Lürssen