Hamburg’s Tortue hotel opens following renovation by David Chipperfield Architects and Stephen Williams

Napoleon’s occupation of Germany may have been a short one, but the Gallic influence still lingers; and nowhere more so than the freshly minted Tortue Hamburg hotel.
Built in 1888 for the city’s civil service and state ministry, the handsome six-storey pile has been transformed by a star-studded team of designers and architects into a soigné boutique hotel.
Like the titular turtle after which it is named, the 126-room Tortue reveals itself in stages. The façade and structure, ably restored by David Chipperfield and Stephen Williams, opens up into five food and beverage outlets, whilst the bedrooms by interior designer Kate Hume are warm cocoons of brass details and plush fabrics.
The sixth-floor rooftop looks over St. Michael’s church and the harbour, but, for our money, it’s a toss-up between the beef tartar spiced with chilli and candied lime zest at the Joyce Wang-designed Jin Gui, or the fork tender boeuf bourguinon at Brasserie, which Hume has dressed with black metro tiles and marble.§
There are 4 loveseats at Jin Gui, the hotel’s asian restaurant, designed by Joyce Wang studio. 126 Areti pendant lamps can be found in each guest room
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Stadthausbrücke 10
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
London's coolest design-led coffee shops for your Fashion Week fix
Coffee shops are the heart of London’s neighbourhoods, discover those fusing speciality beans and stylish interiors for the perfect brew
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Martine Rose’s first gallery show celebrates the radical queer energy of Bronski Beat
Taking place at Sadie Coles over London Fashion Week, ‘Everything Must Change’ centres on a 2016 short film by menswear designer Martine Rose and image-maker Sharna Osborne starring Bronski Beat frontman Jimmy Somerville
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this week
A taste of the dolce vita in London, some permanent artwork and a new eyeshadow palette – it's our editors' picks of the week
By Bill Prince Published
-
Artful lodger: Jacques Garcia transforms a former church into L’Oscar hotel
By Ali Morris Last updated
-
Artful lodger: Dexter Moran Associates designs London's Vintry and Mercer
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Artful lodger: The Jacques Grange-designed Hotel Mamá opens in Palma
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Artful lodger: Botswana’s Mombo Camp is refurbished by design firm Artichoke
By Lauren Ho Last updated
-
Artful lodger: The former Hotel Russell gets a makeover by Tara Bernerd
By Daven Wu Last updated