This is how Tschentscher reacts to the deadline set by the Elbtower construction company

Hamburg's mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) has rejected the threat from the construction company Lupp to withdraw cranes and special technology from the Elbtower construction site. “We won’t allow ourselves to be put under any pressure,” said Tschentscher in an interview with RTL Nord. At the same time, he was confident that the high-rise building, which has been standing still for three years, will one day be completed: "A ruined building will not exist in the long term. There will of course be a new solution sooner or later."

However, Tschentscher once again made it clear that Hamburg would not step in as the builder or savior of the private project. "The Elbtower should be completed. But not by the city, but by private investors," he said. Hamburg is only prepared to acquire part of the completed building for the planned natural history museum. The prerequisite remains a fixed price and a clear limitation of the risks for the public sector.

“What we cannot do is take on the risks of private investors,” said Tschentscher. The investors have so far “not really taken the city’s expectations seriously”. The Senate cannot accept that. Hamburg wants a high-quality natural history museum, “but we also want it at a reasonable price, and it stays that way.”

This was the mayor's first public reaction to the announcement by the Hessian construction company Lupp that it would dismantle a high-rise crane on the Elbe Bridges construction site from November 18th. If negotiations with the city do not progress more quickly, the company says it wants to remove additional special technology that is needed to continue construction of the high-rise building.

Lupp built the shell of the Elbtower, originally developed by the Austrian investor René Benko, and is now involved in the consortium that wants to take over the high-rise from the insolvency administrator and complete it. The company estimates its financial commitment to total around 60 million euros. Claims totaling 37 million euros arose from unpaid invoices from the first construction phase alone.

Lupp confirmed on Tuesday that he would stick to the planned dismantling. After three years of standstill, the reasons for this step were clearly stated. The ultimate goal remains to complete the Elbtower as an architectural landmark in HafenCity. To this end, the company is relying on “quick and binding discussions” with Hamburg.

Tschentscher, on the other hand, sees the time pressure primarily on the part of private investors. The city cannot artificially accelerate the negotiations. “We can’t allow ourselves to be put under pressure either,” he said. Lupp was already involved in the construction, “just as it was set up by Mr. Benko”. Hamburg will not take responsibility for the resulting problems.

The Elbtower has been standing still at a height of around 100 meters since the Signa Group collapsed in October 2023. The building, designed by David Chipperfield, was originally supposed to be 245 meters high. The revised plan calls for a height of around 199 meters.

A consortium led by Hamburg real estate entrepreneur Dieter Becken wants to take over and complete the shell. Hamburg had offered to purchase around 46,000 square meters on the lower floors of the finished tower for a maximum of 595 million euros. The planned natural history museum will move there. However, the city generally only wants to pay the purchase price for completed areas and assume as few construction and financing risks as possible. Finance Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD) recently promised a decision on the museum location this year. At the same time, he pointed out the development of construction costs and interest rates.