We envision this skyscraper to be placed at the Harbor of Copenhagen, Denmark. There is a strong connection between Copenhagen and the surrounding sea. The city was historically a trade hub of north Europe. With The Sound Sea (a strait between the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea) cutting through the city like a wedge, the inhabitants of Copenhagen seems to embrace a mixture churches, trade houses, dwellings, and shipyards. That was up until recently. As the global shipping corporation Mearsk is moving its facilities out, numerous housing and office projects are moving in. Though many Copenhageners wish to engage in the arising housing opportunities on the former shipyards islands, extensive city planning has to happen first. We suggest this project take part of this revitalization. Now that a significant area in the North East part of the Copenhagen find itself replacing industrial references with those of housing and public life, it is vital that a landmark that can reconnect the islands is introduced. We therefore see it as most important that this skyscraper take on the role as beacon for a new area and lead the way for a new chapter in Copenhagen. The notion of transformation and movement is a big part of this process and we have therefore chosen to let these conditions drive the overall form language. The tower is combined with what appear to be rotating disk, stacked to form a vertical gesture. The disk seems originate from a different use, thus making the building revolving from the ground with the mechanical grandeur of earlier times.
We seek to create a skyscraper which is multi faceted its organization as well as in its expression. With the use of both public and private entities ’we seek to foster a building that is in constant use. Our design strategy is to fill the building with a variety of different programs with a variety of rhythms’. From family dwellings through dorms and even elderly homes, this tower will be dazzling 24/7.
To orchestra the logistic multiple programs, we have put special attention to the intricate relationship between horizontal and vertical movements. With a mixture of public, private, pauses, passages and parks we believe this tower achieve similar public life to those you find in any successful city. The strictly vertical movements such as elevators are centered in the core and dwellings, parks and pauses are placed toward the perimeter of the tower.
The Skyscraper is constructed as a series of stacked rings that are designed to perform as separate entities with a network of columns running along the inside of the façade. Though every sequence is designed to perform individually when they are connected the whole structure will function as a shell structure. The dwellings will therefore be attached to the facade and the core will be kept as a more open space.
The key ingredient to create this facetted coherency is the dwelling units. We have used a variety of different floor plans, all with a strong emphasis on corner units. With the use of revolving floor almost every unit has impressive panorama views as well as a intimate relationship with its inner core “neighborhood”.
Site
Copenhagen Harbor is an important asset to Copenhagen and a big part of the city’s identity. Traditionally ships would arrive from north experiencing Copenhagen city on to the west and the B/W islands with their shipyards on their east side. The shipyards have unfortunately experienced a steady decay since the 80’s and now the islands are experiencing a boom in housings and houseboats. As Copenhagen Harbor revitalizes itself as a post-industrial neighborhood, we suggest giving Copenhagen a new landmark in the process. This tower will stand as a lighthouse at the entrance of Copenhagen Harbor, accentuates the entrance to Denmark’s capital and the beginning of a new chapter for the B/W islands.
