Completed in 1924 for merchant Henry B. Sloman, whose fortune came from Chilean saltpeter trade, the Chilehaus is the centerpiece of the Kontorhausviertel, Hamburg's early 20th-century office district built to house the city's shipping and trading firms. Its brick Expressionist facade, shaped like a ship's prow, was designed by architect Fritz Höger and forms part of the UNESCO-listed Kontorhausviertel alongside Speicherstadt.
The Chilehaus was commissioned by shipping and trading magnate Henry B. Sloman, who made his fortune importing Chilean saltpeter, and was built between 1922 and 1924 to a design by architect Fritz Höger. The ten-story office building is considered one of the foremost examples of German Brick Expressionism, an architectural style that used dark clinker brick in sculptural, non-rectilinear forms rather than the classical stone facades common to earlier commercial buildings. Its eastern corner, at the junction of Fischertwiete and Pumpen, comes to a sharp point that resembles the bow of an ocean liner, a form widely read as a tribute to the maritime trade that funded its construction. The building's facade is faced entirely in dark-glazed brick with geometric ornamentation, articulated bay windows, and stepped setbacks on the upper floors, all built without structural steel visible on the exterior. The interior retains its original office layout and stairwells and remains in active commercial use as leased office space, with no public interior access. The Chilehaus anchors the Kontorhausviertel, a district of purpose-built office blocks constructed in the 1920s and 1930s to house Hamburg's trading and shipping companies, and was jointly inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Speicherstadt in 2015 for its architectural innovation and historical role in the city's commercial infrastructure.
| Admission | Free (exterior only) |
|---|---|
| Hours | Exterior viewable 24 hours (private office building, no public interior access) |
| Address | Fischertwiete 2, 20095 Hamburg |
Why it matters
The Chilehaus is one of the defining works of German Brick Expressionism and, as part of the UNESCO-listed Kontorhausviertel, represents Hamburg's early 20th-century emergence as a purpose-built center for maritime trading offices.
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Location
Fischertwiete 2, 20095 Hamburg
53.5497, 10.0033 View on map
Highlights
- Ship's-prow corner at Fischertwiete and Pumpen
- Dark clinker-brick Expressionist facade
- Geometric brick ornamentation and stepped upper floors
- Centerpiece of the UNESCO-listed Kontorhausviertel
Tips for visiting
- View the building from the Fischertwiete corner in the morning for the best light on the prow
- The interior is not open to the public; the visit is exterior-only
- Pair with a walk through the rest of the Kontorhausviertel office blocks nearby
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Frequently asked questions
Can visitors go inside the Chilehaus?
No, it is a working office building with no public interior access; the visit is limited to the exterior.
How long does it take to see the Chilehaus?
Viewing the exterior takes about 15-20 minutes as part of a longer Kontorhausviertel walk.
Is the Chilehaus suitable for children?
Yes, it is an outdoor architectural sight that requires no ticket or lengthy visit.