"The Royal Danish Theatre, Denmark's national theatre, has acquired a unique house with three stages; viz. the Royal Theatre Playhouse. The architecture and the materials chosen for this building, incl. the copper-covered stage tower rising above the entire complex at a height of 35 m, attempt resembling the surrounding town houses and the old towers of the city. The house has partly been constructed on piles in the harbour, and the lobby of the theatre sort of opens up towards three storeys with direct access to the pier at ground level. The building has been prepared for future increases of the water level. The building has been given a diploma by Foreningen til Hovedstadens Forskønnelse (the Association for the Embellishment of Copenhagen) and won the prize "Building of the Year 2008" by the Danish Construction Association in the open category. The Playhouse has also won the prize "Sustainable Concrete 2009", which was awarded by Dansk Beton (the Danish Concrete Society) for the first time this year."

A high-performance classic solution: The Royal Danish Playhouse is situated among traditional storehouses and other buildings along Copenhagen Harbour. That called for a façade solution that communicated respect for its architectural surroundings.

Beautiful, yes - but does it perform?

"If you can make a building look like it's always been part of its setting, then I think you can call the building a success." That's how architect Henrik Schmidt of Lundgaard & Tranberg sums up his approach to the design of the new Royal Danish Playhouse. The setting, in this case, is Copenhagen Harbour, with its brick storehouses and expansive view across the channel. Accordingly, Mr Schmidt and his team designed the theatre in glass, copper and custom-designed brick, with an oak plank promenade extending over the water along the glass foyer. The question was, how do you make traditional brick cavity walls perform like the latest high-tech systems?

Boosting efficiency, silencing noise

On top of all the aesthetic requirements, the playhouse had to deliver exceptional thermal and acoustic performance. "The building is packed with alternative energy systems, and the cavity wall supports energy efficiency by providing room for lots of insulation," Mr Schmidt explains.

The ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation chosen for the playhouse not only delivers outstanding thermal protection. It also protects against fire, is vapour-permeable and - particularly important for a theatre - baffles noise coming from outside the building. "It was important to minimise disturbances by keeping noise out, and an insulated cavity wall does a great job," says Mr Schmidt. who also cites a reputation for reliable, durable performance as reasons for choosing ROCKWOOL insulation.

A solution that lives up to expectations

The Royal Danish Playhouse has been widely praised both for its appearance and for its performance as a building. When asked about ROCKWOOL's overall contribution to his project's success, Mr Schmidt says the insulation fully lives up to his expectations. What does he appreciate most about it? "Let's put it this way," Mr Schmidt concludes, "it just works." "Let's put it this way, it just works." - Henrik Schmidt, architect.