Broschek House, Hamburg

Broschek Haus is located on the corner of Heuberg and Große Bleichen, in the historic Neustadt quarter of Hamburg. Built in 1925 and 1926 as headquarters for the Broschek publishing company, it was designed by renowned architect Fritz Hoger. An example of the Expressionist architectural movement popular in 1920s Germany, the building has an unusual stepped shape, with the upper three floors set back from the lower half of the building. It was initially supposed to be topped with a steeple – one of many extravagant features suggested by Hoger that were ultimately declined by the Broschek directors.

The building is now a luxury hotel, well placed for most of the city’s sights. It served as a publishing house until World War 2, whilst the national newspaper Die Welt was produced here under British occupation in 1946. Whilst the architect’s original plan was never fully realized, there are many interesting features which make Broschek Haus stand out from the many other grand office buildings in central Hamburg. There are gold triangles jutting out from the dark red brick work – when the sun catches the building’s exterior, they give the impression of sails glinting in the sunlight. There is also a small gold statue of the architect, hidden on a corner of this large office block.