NEWS
„Mach2“: Opening of the flagship project in Hamburg

The project developer Four Parx, based in Dreieich and specialised in industrial space, celebrated the opening of the first two-storey industrial and logistics real estate in Germany, “Mach2”, together with the investment and asset manager AEW and the general contractor GSE on the 15th of September 2022. More than 250 guests were invited to the live event in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg. “Mach2” was built in the immediate vicinity of the Port of Hamburg and is considered a flagship project in the field of industrial and logistics real estate.
“With the opening of ‘Mach2’, we at Four Parx are celebrating a major success. In cooperation with our partners AEW and GSE as well as with authorities in Hamburg, we jointly presented a pioneering concept to solve the shortage of space in metropolitan areas and urban centres,” says Oliver Schmitt, Managing Partner of the Four Parx Group. “Given the challenges that we had to face throughout the development, for example in the field of statics or soil conditions, as well as the complex approval process, we are pleased to successfully complete the project and would like to thank all parties involved for their cooperation and support.”
Four Parx developed the 123,000 m² property without pre-letting on the former production site of the beverage manufacturer Refresco. Access is provided on two levels through ground-level gates, electro-hydraulic dock levellers and two heated ramps for truck use of up to 45 t on the upper floor. The hall height is 10 m below the edge of the trusses. The ecological building concept aims for certification according to “BREEAM – Excellent”, which considers the ecological quality of e.g., materials, water and energy.
“The opening of ‘Mach2’ as the first two-storey logistics real estate is another component in positioning and profiling Hamburg as a responsible and future-oriented metropolis of innovation,” says Michael Westhagemann, Senator for Economics and Innovation. “The issues of sustainability and efficiency of land in metropolises are becoming increasingly important. Hamburg, as leading logistics region in Northern Europe, is therefore the perfect place to develop and establish this new business model.”
Dr. Rolf Strittmatter, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Hamburg Invest, adds: “With the revitalisation of a complex brownfield site, Four Parx has successfully implemented ‘Mach2’, a flagship project for multi-storey industrial and logistics real estate that is unique in the German-speaking countries. We are pleased to have supported the implementation of this project on behalf of the City of Hamburg. The full letting already achieved shows that innovative, sustainable and space-efficient solutions are being accepted by the market in the Hamburg metropolis and are thus making a valuable contribution to the economic growth of the metropolitan region.”
With this project, Four Parx and its partners broke new ground in many ways, as there had been no comparable reference projects before. In addition to an elaborate building permit procedure and planning process, the developer encountered numerous challenges e.g., due to a large number of warfare material discoveries. The challenging soil conditions near the harbour required a special foundation with approx. 26,000 columns.
Dany Brodhag, Managing Director of GSE Germany, comments on the project as follows: “Within three years, a visionary concept has become reality. In terms of planning and construction, we have entered a dimension that redefines space efficiency. When the first articulated lorry drove up the ramp, it was a very emotional moment for our entire team. We are proud that we were able to contribute to the success of this logistics real estate project, which is significant throughout Europe.”
In July 2022, Four Parx announced full letting of “Mach2” even before completion of the building. Airbus, one of the world’s leading aerospace companies, was the first to lease the entire ground floor. At the new site, the group will map part of the business of its fully owned subsidiary Satair as well as store spare parts and offer specific services in the future. On the upper floor, the furnishing company JYSK SE, the system and operations IT provider Bechtle Logistik und Service GmbH and the online food retailer Picnic GmbH secured space.
“The development of ‘Mach2’ has become an outstanding successful project. The demand for industrial and logistics space has been increasing for years, and new concepts to solve the lack of space are in demand, especially in the cities. ‘Mach’ shows how land development can also succeed in economic metropolises to the benefit of users and the municipality. We are proud to have accompanied this project throughout its development,” explains Thomas Poulis-Leinberger, Executive Director at AEW.
In terms of architecture, the property is unique as well: Despite its location in an industrial area, high demands were placed on the architecture and façade design of the building. For this purpose, Four Parx conducted an architectural competition to achieve a high level of environmental compatibility. In 2020, the developer received the B24 Brownfield Award Special Prize 2020 for Innovative Concepts.
With the realisation of the two-storey logistics real estate, Four Parx is continuing seamlessly from its other pioneering concepts and solutions in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg. In 2019, for example, the project developer commissioned a feasibility study on underground supply and disposal in Hamburg’s city centre. The result: the underground transport solution is technically feasible as well as economically operable and can make a considerable contribution to reducing CO2 emissions as well as the city’s traffic load. The concept envisages connecting a warehouse about five kilometres away with a distribution centre via a pipe system. In 2020, the Hamburg Ministry of Economics and Innovation pledged its support in a Letter of Intent (LoI) to find suitable land for the promising project.