A Small Town with a Roof
06.08.2009 – How the Bremer Waterfront is becoming an Innovative Shopping and Leisure Paradise
By: Gerd Hartmann
Photo: Kay Herschelmann
Following an extensive shopping trip Mr. X. contentedly packs the new purchases in his sailing boat which is tied up in the Marina. Meanwhile, his wife enjoys the sun and the view of the river and the harbor while sitting over a Latte Macchiato under the awning of the chic café terrace. They will probably have to wait a little longer for their son. He is still mastering the final obstacles on the climbing wall inside the building complex on the banks of the Weser... This is how a summer’s day on the Bremer Waterfront might look in the future. There are many different ideas about how the 26 hectare site could be developed to become a leisure center on the water’s edge.
Today, the Waterfront is certainly a unique attraction in the Bremen retail landscape. 80 retail outlets in three spacious malls, a food court crowned with a cupola and a multiplex cinema make shopping an experience. And it’s not far to the car either. In North Germany’s largest underground car park, there are 1,400 complimentary parking spaces directly under the center and a further 2,600 in front of the entrance.
»Fashion, and everything that belongs to it, is the focus of attention here.« This is Center Manager Peter Schneider’s description of the recipe to success. All of the important names are here. Labels such as G-Star, its only shop in Bremen, and the British fashion chain Primark with its first shop in Germany. It is not only the wide range of shops that attract the visitors but also the culinary variety. It would be easy to relegate shopping to a pleasant side effect here because the maritime atmosphere and many other things invite the visitor to linger. In winter there was a huge ice rink on the river bank promenade. Directly adjacent, the Bremen Town Musicians and other figures from Grimm’s Fairy Tales glittered as ice sculptures in a specially constructed thermos hall. In summer too, the Waterfront scores points with its location. Whether you prefer to play beach volleyball or to chill in a deck chair at the beach club you can always experience something new here. Some evenings, you can observe ladies in evening dress and men in suits and bow-ties strolling through the mall. When Cinespace presents live opera from the New Yorker Met on the screen, some of the audience in Bremen arrive in evening dress.
Opened in September 2008, the Waterfront stands on historical ground. The AG Weser built ships here for almost a hundred years, as the tram stop around the corner »Use Akschen«, still reminds passengers. Translated into standard German it is »Unsere Aktiengesellschaft« – »our corporation«. In 1983 the shipyards were forced to close-down.
Later, the site made headlines; first as a future hope, then as a problem child. The story began in the nineties when the city of Bremen was considering its post-industrial future and the utilization of its biggest industrial wasteland. Image improvement and tourism were the mottos of the day out of which the idea of the »Space Park« was born. The project to establish a gigantic entertainment center with an integrated mall and a directly adjoining hotel was launched – a sort of indoor Eurodisney on the Weser – with Star Trek instead of Micky Mouse. It took almost 630 million Euros until the first roofed leisure park in Germany started up operations in February 2004. Edutainment based on the theme of space travel, spectacular fairground rides and a rocket with which it was possible to simulate a space launch hoped to attract 13 million visitors each year. Only seven months later, the space-age playground made a crash landing. The predicted crowds never turned up. The turn-key shopping center, planned as the core of the commercial concept, was never opened due to lack of tenants. Despite the massive construction effort, pure entertainment was not enough to enable the Space Center to compete with the big leisure parks.
A Focus on the Good Things in Life
»In contrast to our predecessors, we started by developing the retail side of things« Center Manager, Peter Schneider explains the concept of the LNC Property Group, which bought the complex in 2007. A consistently new atmosphere is part of the plan. You won’t find space travel accessories today. Instead of the moon landscape, you can dine in a maritime ambiance at the food court. There is also constant fine adjustment of the shopping range. For example, the British fashion giant, Primark, opened its first German retail outlet here in May. And because there has been increasing demand for foods and electronic goods over the past few months, the center management has reacted swiftly and is already conducting negotiations. Despite the wide range of goods and services: »The good things in life«, as Peter Schneider puts it, are still the main focus.
In the conference rooms of the Center Management floor, large-format building construction plans hang on the walls. Peter Schneider likes to talk about plans. As the Center Manager he has many of them. For the river bank promenade, in particular, with its breathtaking view of the harbor cranes and an extended, tree-covered Weser island, there are many options for development. »In the long term, the Center is planned as a small town, open in all directions, providing everything you might need« he says. And because amusement and fun are important, leisure is right at the top of the agenda. The planned climbing wall is only a symbol explains Schneider with a gleam in his eye. »We want things to happen here, we want it to be a place where people move and not just sit in rides to be moved« he continues enigmatically. He is saying no more.
Dussmann Service has been on board since 2003. During the time the site was vacant, the Dussmann Team was responsible for, among other things, guard security and maintenance of the vital technical system processes. When the plans for conversion started, »we had to postpone vacation for a while« recalls Gudrun Sturm, the Branch Office Manager of the Dussmann Hanse office, as she talks about the work-intensive preparation phase. The Hamburg Dussmann Crew played a critical role in the realization of the both demanding and extensive undertaking.
Torsten Kay has been present since then. In order to manage the pre-opening, the central regional manager transitionally relocated from the Berlin headquarters of the Dussmann Group to the Weser. If you ask him about the vacancy management and the subsequent construction work, he opens a photo gallery on his computer screen. They show one of the malls, for example: instead of stores, plastic sheets – but the floor is just as clean as it is today. This was because the deserted shopping arcade was open as a public access route between the city and the cinema complex during the period of vacancy. Just like the cinema. A complex security and cleaning task assignment. Another photo shows an escalator packed in dust-resistant wrapping. During the conversion in summer last year, the Dussmann Service team was responsible for internal logistics. Some things just can’t be photographed. Fire prevention, air-conditioning and heating systems needed to be serviced and kept in operation during the entire phase. In order to avoid damage to the construction, interior temperatures were never allowed to sink below 12 degrees. The hotel attached to the complex was kept in operation and was also connected to central energy systems.
Energy Savings Concepts and Delivery Logistics Now that’s all in the past. The video monitors in the security center no longer show empty spaces but colorful hustle and bustle. 190 cameras facilitate security both inside and out. In contrast to his co-workers in security, Ralf Hochheiden is not concerned with that at the moment. The 36 year-old control technician is currently programming a test run for the ventilation systems on his laptop. It is planned to reduce the level of operation at night in future. The Dussmann Service team not only keeps technical systems running. Energy saving concepts are also initiated, developed and implemented as is separate waste disposal management. At first glance this looks quite simple: There are five different containers and a weighing machine. The logistics, however are complex. Waste is weighed in Kilos and sorted into five types. Every retail tenant pays only for the waste that he has actually produced. The otherwise inevitable objections concerning operating costs are excluded from the very start.
It is not only in this case that Dussmann Service can apply its comprehensive experience. »We understand the way the shopping center ticks« says Torsten Kay. The succinct statement sums up what integrated services are in this case. Whether it is delivery logistics – where the head of loading receives delivery vehicles and guides them to the retailers – or maintenance of the food court – where Dussmann staff are responsible for clearing up and washing dishes in addition to cleaning services – Dussmann Service develops a comprehensive, closely-knit service range, from one source. A well-coordinated team, in which each colleague takes on a part of the total responsibility is a pre-condition. »We have the opportunity of developing something long-term here – like an architect« comments Torsten Kay proudly. »This is a fantastic assignment«.
At the information point in the entrance area, the current topic is »Aida«. The friendly Dussmann employee knows all about it. She is often approached by mall visitors about the summer events. The Verdi opera will be performed in June and July directly in front of the Waterfront – on a huge floating stage which is being especially built for the harbor. And in August, sparks will fly when the firework spectacular »Pyro Games« lights up the night sky in magical colors. At the moment, you can’t travel to these events in your own boat. But for those who want to enjoy maritime flair during their journey there and back, there is another option. Five times a day, the ships making the harbor tour stop off at the river bank promenade.
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