Hamburg in miniature. That’s what we’re looking at here at the Stadtmodell. It’s more than just a model. It is a living record of Hamburg’s ever-changing cityscape.
The Stadtmodell Hamburg is a detailed physical model. It showcases the inner city at a 1:500 scale. This impressive display covers roughly 130 square meters. It stretches from Oevelgönne in the west to Rothenburgsort in the east. You can also see from HafenCity and Grasbrook in the south to Harvestehude in the north.
Almost every building is represented here. Streets, bodies of water, green spaces, and commercial areas are shown. The Stadtmodell gives you a comprehensive view. Existing buildings appear in white. Planned or under-construction buildings are in wood color. This helps you distinguish what is already built from what is coming.
This isn’t some static display. The Stadtmodell has been around for about 40 years. It was initially commissioned by the then-building authority. Model makers and carpenters built it. Since then, it has been continuously updated. This means visitors can witness Hamburg’s urban development firsthand.
For city planners the Stadtmodell is an invaluable tool. Local politicians, students, and investors use it daily. It helps them visualize and plan future projects. They can see how new developments will fit into the existing cityscape.
The Stadtmodell is based on a 3D building model. It’s called LoD3.0. Every building in Hamburg is included. Except for the islands of Neuwerk and Scharhörn. These buildings were evaluated photogrammetrically. Then, they were modeled in three dimensions. Textures for all buildings were generated from aerial images. These images have a resolution of 20cm. The buildings sit on a digital terrain model.
The Landesbetrieb Geoinformation und Vermessung created this special model. It is Hamburg’s central point of contact for maps and surveying. The Hamburg 3D city model comes in two versions. These versions differ in scale and detail.
The first version shows about 330,000 buildings. It covers the entire urban area. It presents the buildings in a simplified way. The second version includes detailed roof shapes. It closely resembles the actual appearance of the buildings. This version covers approximately 250 square kilometers. It mainly focuses on the inner-city area. It includes about 130,000 structures. Their height and roof shapes were derived from aerial photos. This version is also connected to the terrain using a digital terrain model.
These models aren’t just computer games. They realistically simulate the cityscape. They can be used for various purposes. City planning and real estate are some of the main uses. Construction projects can be realistically assessed. You can check if they fit into the existing cityscape. You can also simulate lighting and shading conditions. Depending on the customer’s needs, the model can include textures. It can also feature vehicles, people, and trees. The output can be rendered images, 3D PDFs, and films.
Unfortunately, you can no longer visit the Stadtmodell on weekends. But during the week, you can see it. It is in the foyer of the Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen. It is also the Behörde für Umwelt, Klima, Energie und Agrarwirtschaft.
So, take a good look. Imagine the city at your fingertips. The Stadtmodell is a testament to Hamburg’s dynamic growth. It is a valuable tool for shaping its future.