AP Pension sought a new headquarters designed to foster greater transparency and connectivity among employees while enhancing the work environment to support their daily activities.

PLH designed both the architecture and interior of the new headquarters, creating inspiring workspaces for employees while also opening up and sharing facilities with the neighboring bank headquarters for Nykredit and the surrounding community. The headquarters of AP Pension and Nykredit is called Svanemølleholmen. 

AP Pension is a 100 percent customer-owned pension company that recognized the need for a new headquarters aligned with its values of openness on multiple levels – fostering greater transparency and connectivity among employees for better office space utilization, while also inviting increased engagement with the surrounding community and our society in general.

A workplace designed to foster collaboration and inspire workflows
AP Pension's new headquarters embodies a design philosophy deeply rooted in community and collaboration. Drawing inspiration from the area’s industrial heritage and the cooperative principles of AP Pension, the architecture balances elegance and functionality. The interior layout promotes seamless interaction across departments while providing diverse workspaces tailored for focused tasks or dynamic exchanges. Integrated artwork and sustainable features create a visually and functionally enriching environment, connecting the people of AP Pension with both the building’s identity and the surrounding transformation of Nordhavn.

"The people of AP Pension will truly have a modern workplace offering all the features that fosters inspiration and collaboration. We believe that the visually compelling surroundings will make an impressive impact on everyone using or visiting the headquarters."
Bine Soelberg, Creative Design Director, PLH

The building’s form and materials reflect its industrial surroundings and the harbor basin with light concrete frame grid, filled with glazed brick in shades of blue and green. Open office areas along the facade invite natural light and stunning views, while organic shaped atrium-facing walkways foster informal collaboration.

Expected to achieve DGNB Gold and Diamond certification, AP Pension's headquarters ensures a sustainable footprint, offering a modern, adaptable, and inspiring workspace for years to come.

A gesamtkunstwerk

Besides providing the ideal framework for a modern and adaptable workplace that inspires and supports employees in their daily activities, the headquarters also stands as a prime example of a gesamtkunstwerk. A concept that blend different art forms into one unified piece, and in this case: architecture, interior design and art. Carefully selected furnishings, colors, and materials enhance flexibility, while bespoke art pieces integrate functionality, such as acoustic enhancements.

The artwork at AP Pension headquarters has been carefully chosen. The artists and their works are rich in content, materiality, and contrasts – they all have something to say. The atrium in AP Pension headquarters features an impressive floor mosaic made of natural stone and terrazzo, created by Danish artist Michael Kvium. The Palladiana Terrazzo floor mosaic is visible from all levels.  

A spiral staircase leads from the atrium to the other five floors. On the 1st-5th floors, there are cafés and kitchenettes on the walkways. The walkways serve as the primary traffic routes when employees move around the building between different work areas and meeting rooms. On these floors, art has also been integrated into the building design. In addition to Michael Kvium’s floor mosaic, other artworks of his can be found on the walls of the 1st floor. On the 2nd floor, there are Maria Rubinke’s bronze reliefs, as well as Peter Martensen’s colorful paintings on the third floor. Trine Søndergård’s photographs adorn the walls of the 4th floor, and Jacob Rantzaus’ paintings decorate the 5th floor.

"We are proud to have designed an immersive experience. AP Pension's headquaters is a prime example of gesamtkunstwerk connecting architecture, interior design and art to create an inspiring and inclusive and generous headquarters for years to come."
Lars Toksvig, Partner, PLH