Engine of industry.

Shaped by functional and material economies, this container distribution centre in Hamburg's harbour station still has a powerful tectonic presence that recalls the heroic age of industry.

Most of the freight cargo that circulates around the world does so in the form of bulk containers - modular units that can be easily transported by ship, rail and road. It may lack romance, but it is undeniably efficient, the unseen engine that powers modern trade. The increased emphasis on containerisation has changed the topography of port cities all over the world. In Hamburg, for example, as heavy shipping moved down the Elbe, the seaport was left derelict and is now undergoing an extensive programme of development. One outcome of this was the ferry and cruise ship terminal, designed by Will Alsop in collaboration with the Hamburg based practice of me di um (AR September 1993).

Me di um's association with muscular, port-related buildings continues with this more recent project, a new container distribution centre for Hamburg's harbour station. From here, containers are unloaded from cargo ships and sent by rail to all over Europe. Located on the edge of a huge goods yard, the building consists of two parts. A long, low slung two-storey block contains offices and ancillary facilities for the centre's staff, a mixture of blue and white collar workers that ranges from customs officials to track labourers. The glazed upper floor of the building is conceived as a kind of light industrial piano nobile, sitting on a solid blockwork base. A gently curving, corrugated metal roof oversails the long rectangular block, giving it a sleek, aerodynamic profile.

The other element of the complex is a control centre which is dramatically elevated above the tracks. A combination of signal box and control tower typologies, this flying saucer-like volume consists of two hemispherical floors cantilevered off a massive central support. Unimpeded views of the trains and containers are critical, so both floors have full-height glazing on the elevation overlooking the lines of railway tracks and sidings. Sharply articulated overhanging projections, like eyelids, help to diffuse excess glare. Balconies run round each floor, giving the building a jaunty, nautical air reinforced by the smattering of porthole windows. A glazed lift and stair tower links the control centre with the offices and ancillary block below.

Although dictated by functional and material economies, the building has a gutsy, tectonic presence. The steel structure radiates out expressively from the huge concrete support and the detailing is crisply honed. There is an uncomplicated enjoyment of the way in which things are put together- a kind of refined Meccano aesthetic - that was also evident on the Alsop/me di um ferry terminal. Through an inventive and invigorating functionalism, both projects recall a more heroic industrial age.