Friedhof Ohlsdorf - Entrance Area

Hamburg’s Ohlsdorf Cemetery is the largest cemetery park in the world with an area of nearly 400 hectares (larger than New York City’s Central Park). This special place has an international allure and is known for its combination of beautiful scenic surroundings, many striking chapels and historic tombs. The original western part of the cemetery, where the main entrance is located, was designed by architect Johann Wilhelm Cordes as a landscape park and opened in 1877. The eastern extension has a basic geometric structure and was designed in the 1920s by Otto Linné. The redevelopment of the main entrance is one of the first steps in the OHLSDORF 2050 development strategy.

In 2017, Karres and Brands won the competition for the redesign of Ohlsdorf Cemetery’s main entrance. The focus was on spatially and visually improving the entrance area around the information centre and administration building. Aspects such as the monumental value of the buildings and park design, equal accessibility, and visual relationships formed the basis for improving the site’s orientation in the area.

Over the last century, the original design of the entrance area was largely obscured by urban development. The hierarchy was no longer recognisable, and the later addition of a second entrance in a side building shifted the route from the station to the cemetery. Thus, most visitors were entering the cemetery via a side entrance. The buildings and cemetery were barely visible due to the overgrowth of plants.

Through the realisation of a first phase, Karres and Brands will improve the entrance area with a few robust interventions. The restoration of old sightlines to the most important buildings will strengthen the visual relationship between the information centre and the administration building. Pedestrians are now given priority over cars. The choice for distinct natural stone paving creates a coherent space. On their way to the cemetery, visitors will encounter a few clearly recognisable places to help improve their orientation. In front of the information centre, there will be a new meeting point, a place to gather or check the route on the information board. A staircase and a ramp make the cemetery accessible to everyone, and the removal of undergrowth and a few trees makes the original main building once again clearly visible.