PRESS RELEASE - Am Holstentor Parking Garage: Preparations for Removal of the Existing Structure Completed – New Construction Scheduled for Early 2027

Following the City Council’s decision to construct a new parking facility on the site, an assessment was carried out to determine whether the existing parking garage could be reopened on an interim basis until construction begins. The review found that reopening the facility would require investments amounting to several hundred thousand euros while providing only a limited operating period. As a result, the option was considered economically unviable.

The removal of the existing structure presents a number of challenges due to the site’s location and technical constraints. During the works, the adjacent roads and underground utility infrastructure, the neighbouring heritage-protected Holstentorhalle, and the protected trees along Wallstraße must all be safeguarded. The demolition planning has also taken into account findings from structural assessments, hazardous materials surveys, geotechnical investigations and groundwater analyses. In addition, the confined site conditions and the loss of structural capacity in the existing sheet-pile wall anchoring system require additional bracing measures.

The removal works are currently expected to take approximately five to seven months to complete. Total costs are estimated at around €1.5 million.

The next steps for the replacement facility have also been defined. The Europe-wide negotiated procurement procedure, including a pre-qualification stage and integrated architectural competition, was completed in April. The winning team consists of dip GmbH and Schmieder Dau Architekten.

Planning services are already underway, and the building permit application is scheduled to be submitted in August. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027, with completion and opening planned for the third quarter of 2028. Construction costs for the new parking garage are currently estimated at approximately €13.2 million.

"The new Am Holstentor parking garage will provide Lübeck with a modern and sustainable parking facility in a central location," says Dr Ralph Bruns, Head of Parking Services at KWL GmbH, the company responsible for managing the city's public parking facilities on behalf of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck and for overseeing both the removal of the existing structure and the construction of the new facility.

"We are aware that the continued closure of the existing parking garage creates inconvenience for users. This makes it all the more important that we deliver the removal works and subsequent construction project efficiently, carefully and with due consideration for the particular requirements of this location."

The results of the architectural competition will be on public display in the foyer of the Building Administration Department from 8 to 24 July 2026.