SIDE

Hamburg

This port city on the banks of the Elbe, also known as “the city that opens onto the world” is rich in interesting, original features and breathtaking energy. Cosmopolitan and modern, the second largest metropolis in Germany after Berlin is a city of contrasts. Culture and commerce are omnipresent on the streets of the city center where covered passages in the form of a labyrinth contain art galleries, fashion boutiques and restaurants. In the popular and entertaining Saint Pauli quarter, all along Repeerbahn and Herberstrasse Avenue which constitute Hamburg’s red light district, we find bars, discos, exotic restaurants and other more “frivolous” establishments.

Hamburg is a city in constant movement, making it a place of great interest for visitors. As a cultural center, it has no less than 50 museums, theatres and concert halls, which since the 1960s have welcomed renowned international artists and musicians. Nightlife in Hamburg is a must beginning with the celebrated Star club which has hosted Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles and other big names who came here to launch their budding yet still uncertain careers.

When Zen meets pop

The Side Hotel, a cube of glass in a natural green stone structure in the heart of downtown Hamburg can be somewhat disconcerting at first glance. Created by the imagination of Berlin architect Jan Störmer, this hybrid establishment rescues guests from the hustle and bustle of the city and invites them and to go behind the scenes of a highly unusual minimalist universe. “For the entrance hall, I wanted to create a surprising ‘Where am I?’ effect, stemming from the question of how someone can leave the city behind him so quickly and enter a whole new world. This led me to the idea of a cavity or hole, like the coconut which only reveals its ‘sanctuary’ in the deep insides of its seed.”, the German architect explains. The American set designer Robert Wison has filled the immensity of these spaces with jets of colored water, creating a warm, peaceful or energetic atmosphere. The green aniseed rooms, the sapphire blue bathrooms and a warm colored red bar are “strong emotional symbols” heightened by a designer touch, the original creation of Italian artist Matteo Thun, for an overdose of sensations.