Danish architecture

To meet future demand, Copenhagen Airport has embarked on an expansion of Terminal 3 that dwarfs previous expansions and consolidates it as one of the best in the world. The new 80,000-m2 expansion will extend the existing one-roof terminal that draws in light, nature and the city, and put everything within reach. Architecturally, the expansion unites the existing qualities with simple solutions that ensure that it is equally spectacular, simple and calm.  Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects The buildings of Copenhagen Airport combine flexibility, function and aesthetics from different periods. Each terminal has its own qualities and together they form a large urban building complex that reflects an ambitious vision of maintaining every... More

Concurrent with plans to link Denmark and Sweden, the passenger numbers of Copenhagen Airport grew rapidly in the mid 1990s. This led to a need for a significant expansion in the form of a new Terminal 3, which included a new arrivals and departure area, a transit hall expansion with a shopping area, and new administrative offices. The building’s sculptural, triangular wing shape is inspired by the classic delta wing and has led to the nickname ‘The Paper Plane’.The triangular form promotes good passenger flow, and the geometry reflects the different passenger categories. The triangle is a classic inside-out design approach based on a passenger flowchart. Its widest part contains the arrivals area, which all passengers fly... More

Close interaction with nature, generous daylight and an intuitive functionality are central elements of Chr. Hansen’s new 15,000 m2 Innovation Campus with PensionDanmark as an investor. Rasmus Hjortshøj Rasmus Hjortshøj The proposal extends the existing Hørsholm headquarters and will accommodate up to 250 new researchers. The new campus include a new main building, laboratories, meeting center and application center creating a future-proof center for innovation, knowledge sharing and customer support. Rasmus Hjortshøj Rasmus Hjortshøj Today, the headquarters are solitary buildings scattered on the grounds. This project will merge the existing ones into a cohesive campus with an... More

With the jet engine in the 1950s, the aviation exploded and the number of passengers increased tenfold in just a few years. The Vilhelm Lauritzen Terminal was already too small just a few years after it opened and the airport needed another terminal. Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects After successfully working on the first terminal, Vilhelm Lauritzen was once again chosen to draw the new international terminal, which is still in use today as Terminal 2. This time, the ambition was a high level of flexibility, enabling the building to accommodate future extensions concurrently with the growth of the air traffic. The new terminal was inaugurated in 1960 and with a number of architectural features, it has become a recognized iconic building... More

Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects has led a team comprised of COBE, Sted, and Rambøll in the design of the brand-new Kronløb Island in Copenhagen's Nordhavn district.  Making use of bridge connections to both Århusgadekvarteret and Sundmolen, Kronløb Island serves as an important stepping stone and gateway to the city district, which will be densified and linked by several new public urban and harbour spaces. The Kronløb Island derives inspiration from the unesco world heritage site – Stevns Klint (the iconic Danish chalk cliffs), referencing geological sediments from millions of years ago through its monolithic expression. The Kronløb Island is designed to be a distinctive, light and brick-c... More

Frikvarteret is a housing block transformed from a smithy that serviced the area’s maritime industry to six terraced houses. It takes its name from Frihavnen (the Freeport), a free-trade zone that was fully functioning until 2014. Today, a vibrant, open area directly connected to the Århusgade urban area. Rasmus Hjortshøj Rasmus Hjortshøj Rasmus Hjortshøj Frikvarteret is an intimate urban area in Nordhavn’s Århusgade district, mixing various forms of terraced houses, courtyard houses and flats. Most of Frikvarteret’s buildings date back to the early 20th century and were used to service the maritime industry of the working Frihavnen. The buildings vary in materiality and des... More

A total carbon footprint of less than 2.5 kg/m2! This project is a research and innovation project that will attempt to build housing with as little CO2 as possible. Søgården will house approx. 44 social housing units in a circular 3-storey building with a large unifying courtyard for the residents. The homes located on the ground floor vary in size from 47 m2 to 60 m2, while the homes with first-floor access span two floors and range from 89 to 115 m2.All homes are accessed from the garden side from either a raised wooden deck or a balcony entrance on the first floor. Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects The building will be constructed without new concrete and raised above ground level so that the ground floor is ventilated on... More

On the corner of Kampmannsgade and Nyropsgade in Copenhagen is the 1951 Shell House. It was designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen post-war as an HQ for Shell. In 2019, Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects began a three-year total restauration and brought the building bringing back to its original shine. It is now Denmark's largest office community. Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects - Sjavit Maestro Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects - Sjavit Maestro Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects - Sjavit Maestro Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects - Sjavit Maestro Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects - Sjavit Maestro Vilhelm Lauritzen designed it as a replacement for the one that was bombed in 1945 by the Royal Air Force after the Gestapo had seized the building and made it... More

The new façades of the Illum department store in Copenhagen are modern – complementing the surrounding buildings on Amagertorv with great dignity. The owner of the Illum building invited Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects to redesign the façades of the store. The Prada fashion house and the Italian operating company behind Illum were involved in the process of coming up with the new-look façades. Rasmus Hjortshøj   A transformed building in the historic city center Following the conversion, the building appears much more contextual and has a contemporary expression. It is an urban building that clearly expresses its base, torso, and roof finish like the surrounding buildings in Copenhagen city centr... More

Once the building was a 1920’s harbour side warehouse with visible installations and small window apertures – now it is the contemporary and bright architecture studio of Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects and continue to reference its industrial past.The red brick warehouse was originally built for the East Asian Company. Yet, the 1,800m2, open storage room continuously changed over time into an expression characterised by various periods and needs. The building’s red brick façade was kept intact in the renovation. To the north, west, and south, new windows were established in new holes in the masonry, on a par with the remainder of Pakhus 48. This provides a vast influx of natural light to the indoor spaces and offers... More

Copenhagen Airport consists of three terminals with a number of piers that distribute passengers to and from gates. Wrapped in Nordic aesthetic, Pier E is the biggest expansion of Copenhagen Airport in 25 years. It offers an intense yet humble architectural experience as a spatial flow machine bathing in daylight, with floating walkways lined with ash wood lamellas complemented by in-situ cast concrete, integrated artworks and marble terrazzo floors. The inspiration was the 1960 design of Terminal 2, which is an example of a complex airport building where balconies, floating walkways and a generous influx of daylight form a coherent expression.  Consecutively, Copenhagen Airport is ranked amongst the world’s best international ai... More

The Timber House is a parking garage in Copenhagen’s new urban area Nordhavn. The pixelated facade of wood and recycled aluminum reference the ends of stacked timber beams. This expression is an homage to the area’s 19th century history as a place that stored and handled timber. It encourages drivers to park and use the neighbouring metro station to and from the city centre or explore the area on foot. In addition to parking spaces, it adds a playful element to the area with a vibrant, green outer perimeter, (coming) shops and meeting places as well as a Kiss-n-Ride function. Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects - Sjavit Maestro The building is 13,300 m2, six storeys high and holds the space of 430 cars. It is erected in Copenhage... 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