From gas plant to Gastwerk.

About 130 years ago, the old gas plant brought light to the streets and houses of Hamburg’s western districts for the first time. In the impressive and carefully restored industrial building, built with brick and steel, modern design and historical architecture form a fascinating harmonic interpretation - the Gastwerk, Hamburg's first design hotel. The brick hall of the building, flooded with light, reflects with its 600 square metres the unique, loft-like character of the

hotel, which ranks among the city’s very best hotels since its opening in 2000. Today, we are proud to offer 141 rooms in various loft categories, an events area with versatile configuration options, our restaurant Mangold, the Mangold Bar, the Gastwerk SPA, 60 free parking spaces in front of the hotel and 12 parking spaces underground.

Each stone breathes history

1892-1895

The gas plant was built between 1892 and 1895 by the architect and civil engineer Schaar. It replaced the old gas plant at Große Elbstraße.

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1896-1928

Shortly after completion it entered service and was extended between 1910 and 1928. Ten years later, the generating facility was decommissioned.

Gastwerk Hotel Hamburg Alt Futter Innenansicht Hotelaltsw05

1945-1950

After the destruction caused by the war from 1945, up until the 1950s, it was used to store crude benzene from the other gas plants in Hamburg. The plant was used as a container and compressor station.

Gastwerk Hotel Hamburg Alt Lager Innenansicht Hotelalt02

1950ties

Since the 1950s, activists such as artists and drop-outs increasingly discovered vacant industrial buildings and claimed these for themselves for use as studios, for residential purposes, or as auto repair shops and warehouses. The company Ramikal produced wheat middlings in the former coal hall, today's Gastwerk Hotel.

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1990

In the early 1990s, investors and architects became aware of the factory buildings, with their typical brick facades, and founded the "Forum Altes Gaswerk".

Gastwerk Hotel Hamburg Gastwerk Bau Sw 2

1994-1996

The site was purchased in 1994 by the investor group HPV, with the idea of converting the former gas plant into a modern, stylish facility for commercial purposes, and a large, modern community centre with all its attendant facilities, while carefully preserving its originality.

The buildings of the area were registered in the monument protection list in 1996. The administration building, the watch house, the coal tower, four large halls and elevated track, a scale and a rotary stage for the railroad are all on the monument list.

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1997-2000

Shortly before the turn of the millennium, the decision was made to convert the old gasworks into a modern hotel. The aim was to retain the charismatic design of the building and its story. Inspired by hotel visionary Kai Hollmann, designed and implemented by Regine Schwethelm, Sibylle von Heyden and Armin Fischer, the charming roughness of the functional industrial building and the elegance of contemporary design enter into a fascinating symbiosis in the Gastwerk. Just in time for the turn of the millennium in January 2000, the first Design Hotel Hamburg was opened and since then has welcomed its guests daily with its unmistakable character.

Gastwerk Hotel Hamburg Bau Aussenansicht Eingang Gastwerk Bau 0036

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