Copenhagen

With a height of 60 metres, the tip of Nordø is Copenhagen’s new landmark – a contemporary beacon of an impressive scale at the entrance to Copenhagen harbour. The functional design is based on an annual, hour-by-hour weather simulation to strategically position the faceted elements in a way that reduces the direct influx of sunlight. Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects - Sjavit Maestro Connected via two bridges, Nordø marks a new urban area in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn where sky and sea meet the city. Previously this small island was a part of Copenhagen's Freeport under the name of Redmolen and served industrial purposes for decades. However, with its new name – Nordø – comes new purposes. At... More

The plan to develop Carlsberg’s old brewery area in Copenhagen with 3100 new residentials is moving towards its completion. Back in 2009 Entasis was awarded the Masterplan prize at WAF for their vision of a context-driven densification, manifested through nine tall and slender towers containing approximately a quarter of the residentials. Thirteen years later the 120-meter-tall Pasteurs Tårn, is completed. The now tallest domestic building in Copenhagen is designed by Wingårdhs through Gert Wingårdh, Anders Olausson and Jonas Edlbad, in collaboration with Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects. James Silverman The Carlsberg area’s powerful brick houses have high demands on newcomers. The historic architecture is wa... More

For years, DSB’s old freight train hotel from the 1960s laid almost deserted in Central Copenhagen with a unique and rarely implemented brutalist style that was loved and hated. Transformed into a six-storey open office domicile, the 180-meter-long building with the nickname KB32 is now characterised by multifunctional decor, daylight and quality materials such as oak, hot-rolled steel and 55-year-old, exposed concrete.KB32 is part of the revitalisation of the old DSB areas and properties that extend from the main station to Enghave station covering Postbyen and Jernbanebyen. As one of only a few buildings that survived the 1990’s construction boom of Kalvebod Brygge, it tells the story of how the railway was a driving force for... More

We have bricks in commonBricks are the cornerstone of Danish welfare construction, and we pay tribute to this in the World Architecture Year 2023. The year 2023 also marks the 400th anniversary of Copenhagen's Masonry Guild and the introduction of CO2 requirements for construction through the building regulations. However, the two coincident events mark a major dilemma. With a much longer lifespan than 50 years, brick is a demonstrably long-lasting material and one of the few that gets more beautiful with age. But brick is also an energy-intensive material that requires large amounts of energy in the production phase. If we want to bring bricks into a more sustainable future, it therefore requires innovation, development and, not least, de... More

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The whole place is old, yet unused for years. The old stuff was kept as much as possible and it was not easy to deal with it: the marble floor had lots of missing parts, the concrete pillars were full of scrap from tile adhesive. Vladimir Mindru Vladimir Mindru The metal entrance door was a delight when it was brought back to light. The new is young and playful: a colorful artistic mural, pink tones on the central pillars, posters with bittersweet messages. The part we borrowed is the well-known Danish relaxation. We wanted it to be found in the bar’s atmosphere, like the owners transposed it in the served coffee and food. Unpretentious, but bold. The blue is... More

The School on Duevej is the first school in Denmark to receive not just DGNB Gold certification, but DGNB Diamond - a standard that honours architectural aesthetics and quality. The expansion of the school thus realises the vision of Frederiksberg Municipality to create a school that is an asset for its students as well as the local community. Caption Setting new standards for Danish school buildingThe expansion of the School on Duevej has been designed on the basis of a sustainable holistic approach where a lot of importance has been attached to the school’s social qualities. The aim of the architecture has been to create an inspiring environment which facilitates the students’ ability to learn as well as follow a number... More

JJW Architects have transformed an almost 100 years old school in Copenhagen to support modern principles of learning and increase the connection between the school and the local community.   The almost 100 years old Grøndalsvængets School has undergone a comprehensive transformation. With respect to original qualities the existing main building from 1929 has been completely renovated and refurbished to support today's demands for differentiated learning spaces and healthy indoor climate. Furthermore, the school has been extended with two new buildings for teaching, sports and music - designed with strong reference to the identity of the surrounding neighborhood.   COHESION The transformation supports the unique... More

JJW Architects have transformed a classic Danish school from the 1930s to a vibrant campus with close connections to the surrounding city. The project includes a 6000 m² refurbishment of the existing school building as well as a 3500 m² new build extension.The new school building enhances the connection between the school and the city with the use of building transparency, sliding transitions between inside and outside and multifunctional interior design – now also the local community use the school outside school hours. The old part of the school is designated as "worthy of preservation" and therefore both the new build and refurbishment are carried out with great respect for the original architectural qualities. The new build brick facade... More

Laura’s is a chain of gourmet bakeries. The design draws on the nostalgia of grandmother's cakes and bread, integrated with the combination of a modern metropolitan vibe with a minimalistic Scandinavian aesthetic.DESIGN CONCEPTIn many bakeries, the cakes are put on display while the bread lives a silent life on the back wall. We wanted to bring the bread forward, making it the focus of the space and thus the foundation for the design. Industrial materials such as concrete and steel were chosen as juxtaposing elements to emphasise the raw and natural qualities of the bread.Laura’s Bakery produces bread and cakes of the highest quality using classic techniques and only the best ingredients. To communicate the nature of the products, we chose... More

Inspired by the simplicity of the paleo diet and lifestyle we created the interior design and layout and developed an optimized workflow behind the counter. The space was additionally designed as a scalable concept to ensure ease of expansion throughout locations of varying sizes.DESIGN FOCUSCustomer comfortThe new design concept is divided into different areas; accessible seating areas as well as more cosy lounge areas, in order to meet the needs of the wide variety of customer demographics.Creation of hygge*The feeling of hygge and comfort has been achieved through a toned down colour scheme and natural materials such as leather, stone, wood, brass and wool that create a relaxed ambience in the space. This furthermore allows the colo... More

Combining the reliability of tradition with contemporary innovation that lies at the heart of the Gefion Insurance brand, we have designed an office space that merges the values of a luxury hospitality experience with the functions of a modern workspace. The concept is based on the idea of “simple luxury” and is curated to make guests, clients and employees alike feel relaxed by evoking the sentiment of checking into a five star hotel. The office is located across three floors of a historic building just a stone’s throw from the picturesque square of Kongens Nytorv, right in the heart of Copenhagen’s most desirable and historic district. The very untraditional setting further enhances the exclusive hospitality feeling. Founded on th... More