Castle in the Clouds

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project © Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project © Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project View all images ↓
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  • Dates
    2021 - 2024
  • Author
  • Topics Documentary, Portrait, Social Issues
  • Location Hanover, Germany
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The residents of Europe's largest concrete foundation, the Ihme Center in Hanover, are at risk of a financial catastrophe and an uncertain future.

What future do the dreams and visions of the past have today?

According to the German Tenants‘ Association, there is a shortage of more than 900,000 affordable social housing units in Germany. This primarily affects people in a financially precarious situation and makes the current vacancy rate and ineffective use of living space all the more incomprehensible. What prospects does the Bundestag election in the year 2025 hold for a crisis that affects not only Germany but many countries in Europe?

The Ihme-Zentrum in Hanover was planned as a “city within a city” and was built exactly 50 years ago on the largest contiguous concrete foundation in Europe. The brutalist building complex promised effective living space, surrounded by all the ad- vantages and necessities of urban life.

Today, only 1,500 of the originally planned 2,400 people still live here. The decline in retail trade at the turn of the millennium led to the base floor becoming vacant. Only a fraction of the 60.000 m² commercial space is used by a few small businesses. Various investors have already failed to revitalize the brutalist building in the past. The construction work required for maintenance was repeatedly halted due to a lack of payment.

The foundations are now exposed in many places and the reinforcement of some of the load-bearing pillars is exposed to the weather. Architect Gerd Runge fears that the stability of some areas will no longer be guaranteed in around five years‘ time. The current majority owner and major investor Lars Windhorst no longer pays the monthly house payment of 470,000 euros. As a result, a mountain of debt of 13 million euros has accumulated. In addition, Windhorst‘s shares are encumbered with a land charge of 290 million euros. In future, the monthly costs are to be borne by the homeowners, which means a financial catastrophe for almost everyone.

For my project „Castle in the Clouds“, I investigated the extent to which this social utopia of the past still functions. Despite its hopeless future, this monstrosity of cold concrete is kept alive by the people who live there for a variety of reasons.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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15.02.2021 In February 2021, it snowed unexpectedly heavily in Hanover. Numerous families and friends gathered on the banks of the Ihme opposite the Ihme Center to go sledging and enjoy the winter. One lady said that the last time there was winter magic like this was in 1989.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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03.06.2022 Every year, hundreds of young birds are born on the empty floors of the Ihme Center. This duckling fell out of the nest and, unlike its siblings, did not survive. A man from a nearby pub wanted to see if the duckling was still alive and touched it gently on the belly.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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15.07.2023 Hans-Georg Burke, also known as Schorse, poses for a portrait on the roof above his apartment. A few years ago, he accidentally locked himself out of his apartment and then climbed down five levels of scaffolding. He has traveled through India twice by bicycle and, if his back allows it, likes to cycle every day. Schorse kindly invited me for some cheese and bread.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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09.08.2022 The local martial arts school Lee Gym had been closed for a month during the summer break. Steven and his buddy wanted to train outdoors despite the enormous heat and therefore had their sparring session between the pillars directly next to the Ihme River.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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01.09.2022 Construction site fences along Spinnerei Street conceal the base level. According to a banner, the opening of new shopping facilities was planned here for 2022. However, construction work was halted due to non-payment.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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26.08.2023 Peight smokes a cigarette on the balcony of her rented apartment. After suffering a stroke, she had to teach herself many things all over again. Peight used to live with a DJ she fell in love with in London and still loves listening to electronic music to this day. Peight‘s favorite place in her flat is on the balcony, which is facing the Ihme River.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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11.09.2022 Armin poses with his two dogs for a portrait in the walkway at Spinnereistraße. Every day he takes them for a walk around the grounds of the Ihme Center. I met Armin and his two dogs several times when I spent time at the Ihme Center. Each time he agreed to be photographed, but didn‘t want to be recognized in the photos.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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15.08.2023 Benny poses for a portrait in the dining room of his apartment. He works as a wildlife photographer and has lived in the Ihme Center for over ten years. He also offers international photo safaris and has published the 70 kg photo book „SAFARI“.

© Lenny Steinhauer - 13.09.2022 Two satellite dishes were disposed at one of the garbage containers in the walkway at Spinnerei Street.
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13.09.2022 Two satellite dishes were disposed at one of the garbage containers in the walkway at Spinnerei Street.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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12.09.2023 Jan-Philippe, also known as Django, poses for a portrait. He is a freelance artist and lives in a 97m² apartment with his dog Lehmann. He would never move out of the Ihme Center, as he feels safe and comfortable surrounded by the concrete giants, as he calls them. I had the pleasure of visiting Django at the weekend in the morning.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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29.05.2022 Gray poses for a portrait with her ferret in the Ihme Park, opposite the building complex. She would like to start training as a midwife. She was having a picnic with a friend of hers and they also brought their pet ferrets.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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17.07.2023Silvia poses for a portrait on her couch. She likes to spend her free time on the golf course or in museums. She used to be passionate about tennis and coached the youngsters in her club.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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23.05.2022 Along the banks of the Ihme, you can see damaged trees that are still standing as well as fallen ones. The beavers living there are mainly responsible for this.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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18.10.2022 David poses for a portrait in the Ihmepassage. He regularly spends his free time with friends at the Ihme Center. He would like to study fashion design. He told me his mother is a professional photographer and he‘s got some experience regarding posing for a portrait.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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30.04.2023 Cora and Dirk spend a Sunday evening dancing and partying in their living room. They moved into the Ihme Center a year ago.I was invited to spend the afternoon with Cora and Dirk in their apartment. As we got on very well, we also spent the evening together playing pinball, dancing and partying.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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27.04.2023 The entrance to the building at Ihmeplatz 1, a residential complex known as the „Problem Tower“. Originally planned as an office building, the premises were later converted into apartments. The floor plan of the apartments is therefore mostly very small and nested.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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05.04.2024 Patrick lives in the dormitory at the Ihme Center. After a few years in the German army as an officer, he began studying IT in Hanover. He watches the Bitcoin price every day as often as he can and uses the free electricity in the dormitory to mine Bitcoins himself.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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18.12.2023 Dirk and Islam of the security service pose for a portrait during their tour trough the abandoned shopping arcade in the Ihme Center. Numerous shops used to line up here, but the arcade has been dilapidated and abandoned for about 20 years. That evening, a lock was cracked and Dirk and Islam wanted to check the abandoned shopping arcade for further damage.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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24.10.2023 Pavle enjoys a beer on his sofa. He left his home in Monte Negro at the age 14. On his journey, he met two sailors from Genoa and went to sea with them. He has been in Germany for 25 years and has lived in the Ihme Center for 20 years. After showing me around his one-bedroom apartment, Pavle wanted to sing me a few songs from his home country.

© Lenny Steinhauer - Image from the Castle in the Clouds photography project
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22.12.2023 In the days before Christmas 2023, it had rained so much that the Ihme had burst its banks. The flood water completely covered the green spaces in Ihme Park opposite. The pillars of the foundation on the side of the Ihme Center were also under water. It took several weeks for the water level to return to normal.

Castle in the Clouds by Lenny Steinhauer

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