Bunker St. Pauli, a former Nazi bunker in Hamburg, has opened as a new visitor attraction and green oasis after a €100 million revamp.
Described as a new cultural and gastronomic hub, the venue contains a Reverb by Hard Rock hotel, four restaurants, a rooftop garden and a concert hall.
Built during World War II in 1942 by slave labourers, the nearly 50-metre-high structure is Hamburg’s largest high-rise bunker. There are plans for a memorial to the victims of the Nazi regime.
“A lot of people still don’t know the full history here,” Urte Ußling from Hilldegarden eV, a residents’ association facilitating public participation in the project, told the Guardian.
Opened on 5 July, the latest revamp offers a new look with a pyramid-style structure of five floors added to the top of the concrete landmark.
Since 2019, various spaces for culture, leisure and dining have been created across the new floors, and an additional 23,000 trees, shrubs, and perennials have been planted in the extension.
A highlight is the new mountain path, which starts at ground level and leads to the rooftop garden. This offers panoramic views in all directions.
New mountain path and roof park
“The visual highlight of this pioneering landscape architecture project is the spectacular public rooftop garden, which is likely unique to all of Germany,” the website says.
The bunker was previously used as temporary housing and a TV broadcasting centre, before becoming a music venue.
In more news, the Auschwitz museum in Poland has partnered with an AI startup company to tackle hate speech and antisemitism on social media.
Images courtesy of Bunker St. Pauli
