The publication series Hefte zur Baukunst, published by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, documents historically significant buildings, the history of their construction and expert restoration.

The fifth volume in the series is devoted to Hamburg’s Halbmondhaus, which stands out among the row of stately villas along the elegant Elbchaussee: a crescent-shaped, thatched-roof former stable building designed in 1796 by the Danish architect and adherent of classicism Christian Frederik Hansen (1756–1845).

With his unconventional buildings for ambitious, newly arrived merchants, Hansen had a major influence on Altona’s country house architecture. His style, which is associated not only with courtly pride and an international spirit but also with mercantile restraint, was influenced by the Italian Renaissance as well as by the English country house culture and French revolutionary architecture.

While the main house of the Halbmondhaus no longer exists today, the distinctive crescent-shaped part “Halbmond” survived different uses and various changes. It was finally restored in 2019–2021 in accordance with the guidelines for historic monuments and developed for sustainable use.