Urban development

The Port & City Development Corporation
Urban development
– in Ørestad and in the harbour areas of Copenhagen
Contents
Page
5 Foreword
Page
34 The first projects
34 Art in Ørestad
7 Port of Copenhagen
9 Main tasks and focus areas
35 The four quarters of Ørestad
36 Residents in Ørestad
9 Søndre Frihavn
36 Schools and day care centres
10 “Critical mass”
10 Langelinie
36 Ørestad Nord
10 The pier-head as a landmark
37 Bikuben Kollegiet
10 Langelinie today
37 Karen Blixen Parken
11 Amerika Plads
38 The Housing Snake”
12 The DFDS Terminal
38 Københavns Universitet Amager KUA
13 “Kobbertårnet”
38 Tietgenkollegiet
39 The IT University
13 Nordhavnen
40 DR Byen
13 Kalkbrænderihavnen
40 The concert hall
15 A public beach
15 Indre Nordhavn
41 The Amager Fælled Quarter
16 Public transport
16 Harbour activities
42 Ørestad City
42 Ferring International Center
17 Inderhavnen
42 Field’s
17 Kvæsthusbroen
43 VM Husene
18 Christiansholm
43 VM Bjerget
44 KLP
18 Sydhavnen
44 Ørestad Down Town
19 Havneholmen and Gasværksholmen
45 Around Ørestad City Park
19 Bryggebroen
46 Signalhuset
20 Enghave Brygge
46 Ørestad Gymnasium
21 Teglholmen
22 Sluseholmen
47 Ørestad Syd
24 Havneparken
47 New urban places and spaces
24 Havnestaden
48 A unique quarter
25 Islands Brygge Syd
49 Hannemanns Allé
26 A new urban quarter
49 EUROPAN
28 South of Sjællandsbroen
49 Copenhagen Towers
28 Østhavnen/Prøvestenen
31 Ørestad Development Corporation
32 Ørestad – a central city quarter in the Sound region
32 The founding of the Ørestad Development Corporation
32 The general Ørestad plan
The Port & City Development Corporation I/S was founded on the 26th of October 2007. The new corporation is responsible for the development of areas in
Copenhagen Harbour and Ørestad and for the maritime activities in the Port of
Copenhagen. In connexion with the establishment of the Corporation, Port of
Copenhagen Ltd. and the Ørestad Development Corporation I/S were discontinued.
With the present document we wish to take stock of the parts of the last
10 years’ development of Copenhagen to which the Port of Copenhagen Ltd.
and the Ørestad Development Corporation have contributed. We look back on
the projects that the two corporations have assisted in launching, and we look at
the projects waiting to be launched by The Port & City Development Corporation
in the time to come.
The ambitions of the new Corporation are very high indeed: we want to create
urban districts of international class – vibrant with life. Neighbourhoods that
are attractive to live in, and work in, and that are also exciting to visitors. Also in
fifty years’ time. And in a hundred years’ time.
Jens Kramer Mikkelsen
Managing Director
The Port & City Development Corporation I/S
Port of Copenhagen
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Plan of the areas in Copenhagen Harbour, where
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. has been involved in various
projects. All areas marked in the chart are mentioned
in the description of Port of Copenhagen.
1. Søndre Frihavn
4. Sydhavnen
1.1 Langelinie
4.1 Havneholmen og Gasværkshavnen
1.2 Amerika Plads
4.2 Enghave Brygge
4.3 Teglholmen
2. Nordhavnen
4.4 Sluseholmen
2.1 Kalkbrænderihavnen
4.5 Havneparken
2.2 Indre Nordhavn
4.6 Havnestaden
2.3 Øvrige Nordhavn
4.7 Islands Brygge Syd
4.8 Karens Minde
3. Inderhavnen
3.1 Kvæsthusbroen
3.2 Christiansholm
5. Østhavnen/Prøvestenen
Main tasks and focus areas
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. had two main tasks: the management of a commercial harbour and urban development.
This appears from legislation on the establishment in 1992.
Since 2001 the activities in the commercial harbour
have been managed jointly by Port of Copenhagen, Ltd.
and Malmö Hamn A/B through the company Copenhagen
Malmö Port AB (CMP). The establishment of this cooperation created both a Danish-Swedish port for the Øresund
region and a point of departure for transport and logistics
in Scandinavia and the Baltic.
Since the mid-1980s, the commercial harbour activities
have been concentrated in Nordhavnen and at Prøvestenen
in Østhavnen. Developments in the transport industry are
among the causes of the radical change in the traffic in the
port of Copenhagen. Container carriers set a new agenda
for port management, and the environmental requirements
have been changed. Modern port management has rendered old wharves and warehouses superfluous, but, at
the same time, opened the possibility for additions to Copenhagen of new urban quarters. The wish to develop some
of the City’s most attractive waterfront sites was great.
Combined, these elements were catalysts in the last 10 to
15 years’ rapid and extensive urban development.
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. has contributed actively to a
number of the many new environments that have mushroomed along the waterfront from about the middle of the
1990s till today. The development has involved both residential and business environments, besides recreational areas.
In recent years, large parts of the planning of Copenhagen Harbour reverted to the focus-area planning from
1999. The City of Copenhagen decided that a general plan
should be prepared for Copenhagen Harbour, and in the
summer of 1999 cooperation was established between Port
of Copenhagen, Ltd., the City of Copenhagen, the Ministry
of Environment and Energy, and Freja Ejendomme A/S.
The purpose of the general plan was to preserve the
amenities of the harbour and protect the special characteristics of the individual area. The precise object of the cooperation was to define the guidelines for the development
of Copenhagen Harbour and in that way ensure that a
future conversion would result in urban districts and composite units of high quality.
The work to a high degree built on European experience gleaned from, among other places, Paris, Hamburg
and Amsterdam – indeed from modern Western ports,
where industrial storehouses and freighters were in the
process of disappearing. Especially the meetings of water
and land, the possibilities of giving the public access to the
harbour, and, connected with that, the creation of broad, high-
quality promenades along the water were pivotal in the work.
The final report of the cooperation appeared in the
publication Kvalitetsbyggeri i Københavns Havn in 2001
(high-quality buildings in the Port of Copenhagen). The
report takes as its starting point the segmentation of the
harbour into three focus areas: Nordhavnen, Inderhavnen,
and Sydhavnen.
Søndre Frihavn
The Søndre Frihavn area has undergone extensive urban
development in recent years. Among other things, the development included construction on Midtermolen, Indiakaj,
Capellakaj, the west side of Langelinie/Østkaj and the restoration of Dahlerup’s warehouse. Along the east side of
Dampfærgevej, Warehouses 11 and 12 have been renovated together with Silo Warehouse B, today occupied by Danish Regions. New housing and offices have been added.
The original design for Søndre Frihavn by West 8, the Dutch
architectural firm. The main elements consist of Amerika
Plads as a very compact urban space, Midtermolen, prolonged
by means of a small dock with residential buildings, the
DFDS Terminal in connexion with Amerika Plads, and the
development of Nordbassinet with residential buildings
designed like floating row houses.
The focus planning of 1999 concentrated on the area
from Kastellet (the Tulip junction) to Nordbassinet and the
areas around Dampfærgevej or Amerika Plads, as it is
called today. The Dutch architectural firm West 8 from
Rotterdam with urban planner Adriaan Geuze as its professional leader, was appointed to be in charge of the
urban development. The fundamental ideas behind the
development of this section of the harbour are large blocks
as those seen at Østerbro (the neighbourhood to the
west), “towers“ or tall buildings as the landmarks of the
area, and the integration of maritime functions with housing and business activities in a compact urban neighbour-
hood – the vision being, by means of this melange, to develop further a characteristic Copenhagen architecture.
“Critical mass”
The concept ‘critical mass “ has played an essential role
for Adriaan Geuze in his endeavour to create a new and
lively part of the city: Urban building must be compact and
high. A city will never come alive unless the prerequisites
for life are present. In order to thrive, shops, institutions,
cafés, restaurants, etc. all require a sizable population as
their foundation.
Langelinie
The Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. has participated in the development of offices and housing at Langelinie, once a part
of the original Frihavn (free port) from 1894. In 1999, Port
of Copenhagen, Ltd. sold building sites to NCC. The two
sites closest to the head of the Langelinie Pier were sold
to ATP Ejendomme, who in 2006 found two users, BechBruun, the law firm, and FIH Erhvervsbank, the merchant
bankers, who are both located in the neighbourhood, and
in need of more space.
ATP are planning an architectural competition for the
last undeveloped site in the area. The competition was
launched in 2007. ATP and the City of Copenhagen are
united in the wish to include the other sites at the head of
Langelinie in the competition, so that the outcome will be a
general plan for the improvement of the entire head of the
Langelinie Pier.
The pier-head as a landmark
According to ATP, the Langelinie pier-head is intended to
become a Copenhagen landmark, which has been incorporated in the district plan. The present district plan permits building up to a height of 35 metres, but ATP have a
vision of a building with one or more towers and want to
depart from the ”warehouse style” that characterizes the
buildings along Langelinie Allé. Therefore, ATP have suggested a revision of the local plan, once the winner of the
competition has been found.
In connexion with the development of Langelinie, a
number of problems concerning noise have arisen. The wisdom of placing residential buildings in the area when there
is a risk of complaints about noise from cruise liners and
from the DFDS Terminal has been questioned. The future
construction of residential buildings may therefore be in
the balance – the uncertainty being further strengthened
by today’s more restrictive environmental requirements
regarding noise levels.
Langelinie today
Formerly, the old warehouses under the raised promenade
at Langelinie were used for the storage of freight; today,
however, they are used as factory outlets – that is, outlets
for famous brands – and other boutiques. The Langelinie
pier is still used for the mooring of ships, especially cruise
liners.
Langelinie is popular with the tourists. This is where one
finds The Little Mermaid, a tourist attraction – and Bjørn
Nowadays, Langelinie is still used by cruise liners, besides being a much-favoured attraction for Copenhageners. In connexion with planned
development at the pier-head, the plan is to use the lower stories for public purposes, galleries, assembly rooms, cafés and restaurants.
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Amerika Plads, located between Dampfærgevej and Kalkbrænderihavnsgade, will become the centre in the new development in Søndre Frihavn.
The square will be the same size as Amagertorv (one of the more famous urban squares in the city centre). So, at long last, the Langelinie area,
known for its many promenades, eventually gets a square.
Nørgaard’s modern, ‘genetically modified’ mermaid. The
completion of the head of the Langelinie pier will finalize
one of the numerous development projects launched in
Copenhagen Harbour in recent years.
Amerika Plads
Since the summer of 2000, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. has
been developing the area between the streets Kalkbrænderihavnsgade and Dampfærgevej – the former DanLink
area. The area used to serve as shunting yard for the
train ferries to Helsingborg, Sweden, but went out of use
with the construction of the Øresund Bridge in 2000.
Years ago, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. and TK Development A/S recognized the potentials of the areas and
bought them from DSB (today Banedanmark), estimating
that the old railway and ferry areas were large enough to
house a new DFDS Terminal as well as both residential
and business buildings.
Adriaan Geuze’s architectural firm, West 8, of Rotterdam
developed a general plan for the area for Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. and the City of Copenhagen.
Adriaan Geuze’s idea and vision for Amerika Plads were
the creation of a compact and active urban environment,
characterized by large building blocks of varying shape
and height – a modern version of Østerbro. The plan for
the street level contains shops and restaurants, opening
on a square in the middle of the area. At the north end of
the square, the more than centenarian Frihavns Stationsbygning (station building) has been re-erected.
Besides the creation of a square – an urban space with
a unifying function – the general plan for Amerika Plads
also takes as its point of departure the Nordisk Fjer building and the old DSB railway yards. Towards the west,
along Kalkbrænderihavnsgade, the new buildings have
been proportioned to agree with the Nordisk Fjer building.
Furthest to the south, architects Lundgaard and Tranberg’s
building, “Fyrtårnet”, is intended to continue the house row
from Nordisk Fjer, as well as complete and end it. The
construction of this landmark at the south end of Amerika
Plads was commenced in the beginning of 2006. The
house will have 15 stories, all residential.
Towards the north, vis-à-vis the DFDS Terminal, stands
“Kobbertårnet”. The intention is that the tower and the
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Amerika Plads with ‘Kobbertårnet’ to the left, “Nordlyset” (the Auroral)
in the middle, and one of the restored Twin Warehouses, Pakhus E, to
the right. Between “Kobbertårnet” and “Nordlyset” one may discern
the old Frihavnen Station building.
surrounding buildings constitute a noise buffer between
the traffic at the terminal and the other buildings. The
shapes and heights of these buildings will also match the
proportions of the Nordisk Fjer building. Along Dampfærgevej, “Nordlyset”, designed by C.F. Møller, will interact
with the white “Twin Warehouses” from the 1920s, Warehouse E and Warehouse D, which are used as domiciles
by a variety of companies.
One continuous theme in the entire construction is the
block structure. Amid the big and heavy blocks, a steel
house, “Zinkhuset”, designed by Hvidt & Mølgaard, towers
above the square as a sole exception. There is harmony
and diversity at the same time. The architecture becomes
different – in height, in colours and shape; but the connexion is still there.
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Building lines at Amerika Plads.
The DFDS Terminal
ramps and through long passages. The architects have
tried to avoid this and shorten distances as much as possible by collecting all functions in a single long building.
Architecturally, the building has a facade of various types
of glass in a light, modern Scandinavian design. The wish
to connect closely to the urban surrounding is part of the
explanation why design and architecture play such important
roles in the shaping of the Terminal: the green dominance
in the façade was chosen to create a harmony between
the terminal and “Kobbertårnet”, the building right behind it.
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. has built the DFDS Terminal at
Mellembassinet. The Terminal was finished in September
2004, and DFDS’s routes to Oslo and Polferries’s connexion
to Poland both leave from the terminal. Architects behind
the project are 3xNielsen. The terminal is the result of an
agreement from 1999 between Port of Copenhagen, Ltd.
and DFDS to move the traffic on Oslo further north: from
the Inner Harbour to Søndre Frihavn.
The purpose of the new terminal was to give travellers
a modern and more convenient arrival. At many ferry services passengers must buy their tickets at a centrally located
post and afterwards reach the ferry by wandering along
The DFDS Terminal at Amerika Plads. With the establishment of the
new terminal, large passenger ships in regular service can still sail all
the way to the central parts of the harbour and thereby keep Copenhagen on the map as a seaport.
”Kobbertårnet”
In 2004, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. and TK Developments A/S built “Kobbertårnet” (the cobber done tower)
– whose 16 stories make it a landmark of Amerika Plads.
The building was constructed for Plesner, one of Denmark’s
largest law firms. It was designed by Arkitema. Over the
years to come, this characteristic building will change its
appearance. As the salty winds from the Øresund hit the
copper of the façade, the colour will gradually change. With
time, large parts of the façade will acquire the characteristic verdigris well known from a great number of the spires
and rooftops of Copenhagen – and thus also match the
DFDS Terminal. Kobbertårnet is an important detail in
Geuze’s master plan for Søndre Frihavn: it must be a significant part of the Copenhagen skyline.
function side by side, to their mutual enrichment in their
endeavours to create an intensive urban life. The shaping
of the public urban spaces and the access to the water
will be main themes in the future planning further north.
Nordhavnen
Nordhavnen comprises the areas north of the DFDS Terminal. Its north-westernmost point is the location of the
new fishing harbour, built as a replacement for the fishermen who were formerly based in Skudehavnen. The area
has since developed into a ‘home-grown’ environment entirely of its own and probably without its equal anywhere
in the capital.
The new fish market, designed by Kieler Architects A/S,
lies immediately east of the fishing harbour. The fish market
replaced the old fish market at Gasværkshavnen in Sydhavnen, which has been converted into a shopping centre.
The rest of the Nordhavn area has been leased to a
number of enterprises, such as haulage contractors, ship
chandlers, and scrap dealers. This is also the area where
the harbour activities of the future – based on container
handling – will develop. Nordhavnen is the area where
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. had its largest properties.
Kalkbrænderihavnen
With its 16 storeys, ”Kobbertårnet” is a direction finding mark
for foreign sailors arriving at the entrance to Copenhagen harbour
and, at the same tim, the landmark of Amerika Plads.
In connexion with the development of the Amerika Plads
project, several fundamental questions have arisen which
will also be relevant in the future urban development of
sections of the harbour further north. One important matter was the question of the population density. Another
question was how co-existence of maritime functions with
the city can be established.
The new DFDS Terminal and the new buildings at
Amerika Plads have been designed so that they may
Kalkbrænderihavnen was the first section of Nordhavnen
that was developed by Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. Originally,
Kalkbrænderihavnen was an area dominated by small
shipyards and minor businesses. In cooperation with PFA,
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. had a developer’s master plan
for Kalkbrænderihavnen prepared with the purpose of securing architectural coherence in the area. The architectural firm Schmidt, Hammer & Larsen devised the overall
plan. In the course of the period 1999 to 2005, Kalkbrænderihavnen became a fully developed urban area
with business buildings and a marina.
Together with KPC BYG A/S, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd.
has built a domicile for Accenture, the consulting firm,
and for Den Københavnske Bank. The building was finished in May 2001. Sjælsø Gruppen, who bought several
sites from Port of Copenhagen, Ltd., has built new headquarters for the IT-firm World Online. PFA is behind an
office building for Kromann Reumert, the law firm. In recent
years, many Danish architectural firms have been engaged in the development of Kalkbrænderihavnen. They
have all left their stamp on the area. 3xNielsen, Schmidt,
Hammer & Lassen, Dissing+Weitling and Kim Utzon Architects are some of the architectural firms that have been
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Kalkbrænderihavnen. What used to be an industrial harbour, is today a commercial district and a marina. Numerous Danish architects have
contributed and left their architectural stamp on the area – especially Kim Utzon, who has designed several of the buildings.
involved. Among Kim Utzon’s projects might be mentioned
Paustian’s, the Danish Employers’ Confederation for
Transport and Logistics (ATL), clubhouse and restaurant
at “Knasten”, and Harbour House’.
In addition to participating in the construction of business buildings in the areas around Kalkbrænderihavnen,
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. has been involved in the development of recreational areas at Svanemøllehavnen/
Svanemøllebugten. Yacht clubs have moved in at Svaneknoppen. The area is used as a leisure boats facility and
Development plan for Kalkbrænderihavnen. The area has acquired
a mixed character owing to the meeting of two different types of
architecture: the complex buildings of Jørn and Kim Utzon towards
the east, and – towards the west – the more minimalist buildings
of 3xNielsen, Dissing+Weitling, and SHL
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offers clubhouses, winter storage yard, and parking. Entrance for the public by a promenade off Strandvænget.
Svanemøllehavnen is Denmark’s largest marina.
Svanemøllehavnen – Denmark’s largest marina.
A public beach
The City of Copenhagen has planned the establishment of a
public beach in the small bay north of Svaneknoppen, and in
August 2007 the City Authority endorsed the continued development of the project. There is a political wish that the
beach is ready for use in the course of 2008, and the establishment has been included in the City’s budget for 2008.
Indre Nordhavn
Indre Nordhavn is part of today’s fenced-off Freeport area,
but will become one of the Port & City Development Corporation’s future developments areas. The fence will be
moved when the development process begins. The Indre
Nordhavn area stretches from Marmormolen as far as to
include Orientbassinet.
The City-ring agreement of February 2, 2006, renders
the development possible of 400,000 floor sqm in Nordhavnen as Stage 1. This initial stage will take place in Indre
Nordhavn and consist of a combination of residential and
non-residential buildings. At the moment, the exact location of a 2. Stage of 200,000 floor sqm is under consideration. After Stage 2, Nordhavnen is expected to receive
further development.
In addition to this, about 70,000 floor sqm of the existing business properties at Indre Nordhavn can be preserved.
The area is expected to be developed to contain 2,000
dwellings and 200,000 floor sqm non-residential properties, which corresponds to a population of 4,500 people
and 5,000 jobs.
According to a preliminary schedule, building will commence in 2009. The Port & City Development Corporation
and the City of Copenhagen join efforts in the creation of
a basic plan which may result in a general structural plan for
Indre Nordhavn and the rest of Nordhavnen. An advisors’
competition is expected to be launched for a general plan
of the area.
In connexion with the planning of Søndre Frihavn in
2001, Adriaan Geuze submitted suggestions as to how the
urbanization of the southern part of Nordhavnen, i.e. the
area around Nordbassinet, could be accomplished. Geuze’s
idea of housing around Nordhavn Station could possibly
be incorporated in the planning of the future development
of Nordhavnen.
The Århusgade area has several grain or cement silos.
Their locations can be seen in the photo below.
The initial stages in the development of Nordhavnen. 2,000 dwellings and 200,000 floor sqm for business purposes are planned in Stage 1.
When the urban development starts, the fence will be moved, and the area will no longer be part of the Freeport.
(2.)-3. Stage
2. Stage
1. Stage
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Harbour activities
Altogether the Nordhavn areas total about 2 million sqm
and are the property of the Port & City Development Corporation – apart from the sites around Kalkbrænderihavnen,
which have now been fully developed as an urban area. In
municipal as well as local planning the areas have been reserved for maritime purposes. Today Nordhavnen is a business section, comprising a container terminal, a car terminal,
a cruise liner terminal and several logistics enterprises.
In connexion with the planning of Søndre Frihavn in 1999, the
Dutch town planner Adriaan Geuze prepared first drafts for a possible
urbanization of Indre Nordhavn, here visualized in a model by
architects Hasløv and Kjærsgaard.
Public transport
Indre Nordhavn is situated quite close to Nordhavn Station
on the metropolitan railway. There are plans for the modernization of the station by providing direct access from
the harbour side and by an increase in the transport services at Nordhavnen. At first this will mean more bus connexions, and the construction of a Metro at a later stage
is under deliberation.
A new road connexion between Kalkbrænderhavnsgade and Lyngbyvej (the motorway to Elsinore) is being
planned, which will provide both the new urban section
and the commercial harbour with an attractive connexion
to the motorway net. The road is part of a political agreement between the state and the City of Copenhagen,
which is backed by a majority of the political parties in the
Folketing (i.e. the Danish Parliament.). Construction might
commence in 2010, and the connexion may be in service
in 2014. The City of Copenhagen is in charge of the construction work.
The map shows the proposed road connexion between Kalkbrænderihavnsgade and the Elsinore Motorway, which would
facilitate traffic to and from the new urban area. The exact
siting and layout of the connexion is under consideration.
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Commercial harbour with container and car terminals
Cruise liner terminal
Recreational area
Present location of container and car terminals
Development area
The Board of Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. wished to be part
of the endeavour to secure Copenhagen’s position as the
leading Scandinavian cruise destination, and the development of Nordhavnen may help achieve this. On December
6, 2006, the Board decided to examine the possibility of
establishing a new quay for cruise liners along the entrance
to Copenhagen Harbour – at Kronløbet – and permit a
future relocation of the container and the car terminals to
a reclaimed area in the north-eastern part of Nordhavnen.
The new quays and a terminal are expected to be ready in
three or four years. The public authorities and the firms
involved will now jointly examine the plan in its entirety.
The relocation of the container terminal and the car
terminal should be viewed in connexion with the ongoing
development and planning of the Nordhavn areas, including
Indre Nordhavn. Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. have carried
out noise level analyses that have indicated that the present
location of the container terminal restricts the possibilities
of an optimal reconstruction.
Inderhavnen
Kvæsthusbroen
Inderhavnen is the historic part of Copenhagen Harbour.
The area stretches from Nordre Toldbod to Langebro. As
one of the three focus areas, it was the object of an analysis
by Henning Larsen Architects in order to point out the
possibilities of placing large centres for the performing
arts and public institutions here. The conclusion of the
work was that there was room for a playhouse and concert
halls on the grand scale – at a time when a new opera
house was not yet in the offing. The work was carried out
as a series of volume studies describing permitted heights
at a number of sensitive locations in Copenhagen’s inner
harbour – a precursor, as it were, to today’s debate on the
skyline of the city, on tower blocks and high-rises.
The ferries for Oslo and Bornholm have been relocated to
the new DFDS Terminal in Søndre Frihavn and to Køge –
a market town south of Copenhagen – respectively. This
relocation made the site at Kvæsthusbroen available and
created the possibility of building a new arts- centre-cumstage: the Royal Theatre’s new playhouse at Sankt Annæ
Plads. Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. sold the sites to the Danish
Ministry of Culture. After winning an international architectural competition, Lundgaard and Tranberg were chosen as
architects for the task. Construction began in 2004 and
the house was inaugurated in February 2008.
The new playhouse has three stages of different sizes.
The most striking feature of the exterior is the top storey
with its undivided glass façade, behind which there are facilities for actors and administration. The architects chose
to move the house forward into the harbour, as it were,
and the audience enters by slightly sloping ramps, which,
besides being the point of arrival, serve as a promenade
with a view of the water.
The Opera House in the Inner Harbour is perhaps the bestknown building in Copenhagen Harbour. The Opera was designed
by Henning Larsen Architects and was inaugurated in 2005.
The Playhouse at Kvæsthusbroen. The first performance took
place in February 2008. Just north of the Opera House, Christiansholm with the newsprint storehouse can be identified.
17
Christiansholm
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. owns Christiansholm, presently
leased to Danske Dagblade, an association of Danish daily
newspapers, who use it for newsprint storage. So far no
decision has been made as to the further development of
Christiansholm.
Danske Dagblade’s lease is interminable until 2017.
Owing to the long distances involved in the deliverances
of newsprint to the newspaper printing offices, today no
longer located in central Copenhagen, the lessees have considered shifting the storage facility away from the harbour.
Christiansholm’s central location immediately suggests
that the area be used for activities targeted at the general
public. However, today the placing of cultural institutions
and events at Christiansholm is but one of many options.
Henning Larsen Architects aired the possibility of placing
a concert hall there, but the plans were abandoned when
the Danish Radio announced their plans for a concert hall
in connexion with their new domicile in Ørestad.
As part of the inner harbour, Christiansholm has a central location, placed as it is in the lines of sight from both
the northern and the southern end of the harbour passage. In accordance with the ways in which the city has
been planned and has developed, Christiansholm will
become the central point of the harbour.
Among other things, the building of a rendezvous has
been suggested, a “Town House” with, say, exhibitions and
restaurants. Recently the idea of turning Christiansholm
into a residential area has been put forward.
Sydhavnen
Sjoerd Soeters, the Dutch architect, was commissioned to
devise a plan for Sydhavnen, that is the area from Kalvebod Brygge in the north to Sluseholmen in the south.
Soeters took as his point of departure two development
projects from Amsterdam, the two artificial islands used
for housing, “Java Island” and “Borneo Island”, where the
surface of the water is brought into close encounter with
modern residential buildings in a visionary and experimental
way. In addition to this, the concept has been enriched
through an interpretation of aspects of the typology of
Copenhagen – in this case, the blocks in the old inner suburbs of Copenhagen with their enclosed courtyards, offering
shelter from the winds, become waterfront dwellings.
In order to obtain the greatest variety possible, more than 30 architectural firms have participated in the design of the façades at Sluseholmen.
18
Havneholmen and Gasværksholmen
In 2005 Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. sold their property at
Havneholmen to the Sjælsø Group. Prior to that, Port of
Copenhagen, Ltd. and Skanska Øresund commissioned a
general plan for the area. In connexion with this, Port of
Copenhagen, Ltd., Skanska Øresund and the City of Copenhagen jointly decided that the general character of the
area should be examined from several angles.
An architectural competition was launched in the shape
of a parallel assignment between three architectural firms.
The participants were the Danish firms Exe Architects
and Bystrup Arkitekter, and Gert Wingårdh from Gothenburg, Sweden. The final evaluation pointed to Wingårdh’s
project as the most visionary proposal for the area.
On sites previously owned by Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. at Havneholmen,
Sjælsø are in the process of realizing a housing project where the
out-door areas are merged into the harbour promenade in a new and
different version of urban spaces along a waterfront. Architects:
Lundgaard and Tranberg.
The basic idea behind Wingårdh’s winning project consisted in building elements placed at right angles to the
harbour passage with characteristic oblique roofs, sloping
towards the central thoroughfare. In this way Havneholmen
will acquire its own architectonic expression at the harbour passage and form a gateway, if you like, or opening
into the southern harbour.
Another fundamental idea in the winning project is the
design of an urban space that bridges the transition from
the waterside dwellings to the office buildings facing the
Fisketorvet shopping centre and the Aller domicile at the
northernmost point.
Bryggebroen
Havneholmen is also the location of Bryggebroen across
the harbour to the Havnestaden. Moreover, the urban
space will provide the hinterland of the open-air swimming
facility, ‘the harbour baths’, to be established immediately
south of the bridge.
Bryggebroen was opened in September 2006. This bridge
will be of special importance as a connexion between the
Vesterbro quarter of Copenhagen and Islands Brygge. The
bridge was designed by architects Dissing+Weitling.
The area as a whole is intended to be an active part of
the canal village planned in Sydhavnen and form the northern fringe of the latter. In a few years, when all the construction work has been finished and connexions to the
surrounding parts of the city have been established,
Havnestaden will appear as a coherent neighbourhood
with an identity of its own. A very compact quarter with
open-air space and well-balanced architecture that takes
advantage of its waterside location.
Sjælsø is behind a housing project that introduces new
and supplementary canals compared to the previous plan
Rendering of Havneholmen. In the foreground, the open-air swimming bath. The prism-shaped glass building on the right is the
new domicile-to-be of the Aller Group.
19
for Havneholmen. This is a housing project at odds with the
City of Copenhagen’s body of regulations regarding promenades along the harbour. In this case the promenade is
laid out behind the buildings and a lot of urban spaces
are created around the new canals. At the same time, the
façades of the buildings run straight down into the water
of the harbour. Architects: Lundgaard and Tranberg.
trance – a house of glass and steel that feels at ease in
the architectural ensemble at Havneholmen. In combination with the Island Hotel, designed by Kim Utzon, the
Aller building here creates an urban space, a large part of
which consists of the surface of the water in the harbour.
The Aller building will be shaped like a glass prism; it was
designed by PLH Architects.
Enghave Brygge
The Enghave Brygge area is part of Soeter’s general plan
for a canal village in Sydhavnen, and will be developed
as the last stage of the plan. The first two stages will be
Teglholmen and Sluseholmen.
Two developers, JM Danmark and Nordicom, have
bought sites in the area. However, the fate of the development plans depends on the resolution of the environmental
problems in connexion with H.C. Ørstedsværket, the nearby power station.
Nordicom expect to be able to build between 500 and
700 dwellings in the area.
Situation display of Havneholmen, showing the area formerly
owned by Port of Copenhagen, Ltd.
Further south, Skanska’s housing project accommodates
itself to the same schematics, albeit in a simpler manner.
The project was designed by Vilhelm Lauritsen Architects.
To the west, Skanska’s two new office buildings, designed by Gert Wingårdh AB and Bystrup Architects, are
placed along the canal between the Fisketorvet shopping
centre and Havneholmen.
To the north, the Aller Group’s new domicile is located
on the very conspicuous triangular site at the harbour en-
20
General plan for the canal village in Sydhavnen. The plan was developed by Soeters Van Eldank Panec Architecten, an Amsterdam
architectural firm, and should be seen as a further development of
earlier Dutch projects – here in a Danish and Copenhagen-ish version.
In this further development, elements of water together with the
length of the promenades have become even more powerful.
Teglholmen
In July 2005, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. and the Sjælsø
Group entered into an agreement about development and
joint preparation of land for building of a large area at
Teglholmen. A development company, Teglholmen P/S,
was established to be in charge of the task. The Port & City
Development Corporation will sell their property to the
Company, as soon as a district plan for the area has been
approved. Sjælsø has bough a part of the other business
properties in the area and included them in the Company’s
development areas. Together, the areas are expected to
make the construction of 1,300 dwellings and 20,000 sqm
for business purposes feasible.
In 2002, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. and MT Højgaard
cooperated in the construction of a non-residential building
project at 12 Støberigade.
The development of Teglholmen is stage 2 of the canalbuilding project in Sydhavnen, a concept within urban
development, which has been developed in co-operation
with the Dutch architect Sjoerd Soeters.
Together with other development plans for the harbour,
this instance of urban development provides the background for one part of City of Copenhagen’s master development and town planning scheme for 2001. With
Christianshavn and Amsterdam as models for the ‘town
on the waterside’, and with the old inner suburbs as inspiration for the houses that make up the blocks, canal villages are being constructed at Teglholmen, Sluseholmen
and Enghave Brygge.
The elaboration of the sketches for Teglholmen Øst
was carried out in four workshops where the City of Copenhagen, the Sjælsø Group, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. and
the architects participated.
Positive experiences in the form of good results obtained
from the work with a general plan for the entire Sluseholmen area made the Port & City Development Corporation
see the continuation and the development of these procedures as obvious.
The building of a municipal school has been planned
as part of the development plan for Teglholmen. In autumn
2006, The City of Copenhagen’s school authority arranged
an architectural competition in which 7 architectural firms
participated. The competition ended on December 1, 2006
with JJW Architects as winners. The next stage is the development of the winning project towards a feasible plan.
Today the area houses a mixture of different businesses, the dominating enterprise being MAN B&W. In 2006,
TV2 moved to Teglholmen, which engendered new activities in the old industrial area, and the future development
21
is already making its marks. The housing estates to the
east, the apartment buildings and the dwellings on the
water are bordered by the green wedge stretching from the
east to the west – eventually all the way down to the harbour passage. The existing roads are the basis for the
structure of the future road net.
H.C. Ørstedsvæket, the power station, is not expected
to cause noise problems at Teglholmen, but the MAN B&W
is. A consultant’s examination showed that at the nearest
building sites low-frequency noise from MAN B&W exceeds the margins for nighttime noise fixed by The Environmental Agency.
The low-frequency noise derived either from MAN B&W’s
factory chimney or from their test building. The noise
problem is expected to be solvable through noise suppressors at the source or through façade cladding. In the proposal for a local plan for the Teglholmen P/S Company,
the building sites bordering on MAN B&W have been
selected for non-residential purposes.
Arkitema, an architectural firm from Århus, has concretised
the canal village. Along the canals, the façades of the buildings
run straight down into the canal surfaces.
22
Sluseholmen
The preparation of land and its further development are
the responsibilities of Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. and the City
of Copenhagen. The first sites were sold to JM Danmark,
the Sjælsø Group and Nordicom. The canals and their
environment have been designed by the Dutch architect
Sjoerd Soeters.
After its completion, the area at Sluseholmen will have
1,200 dwellings. In 2006 the first “Sluseholmians” moved in.
Housing estate at Sluseholmen - in a canal environment after
inspiration from Holland. The first inhabitants moved in 2006.
Rendering of the Metropolis, a residential building at Sluseholmen – a project “with a difference”, designed by the experimental English
architectural firm Future Systems. The building contributes to the diversity characteristic of Sluseholmen.
At the southern part of Sluseholmen three developing
companies, Nordicom, MT Højgaard and Hauser Ejendomme,
are at work on the construction of 1,300 dwellings – a
continuation of the canal development on the northern side
of Sluseholmen. The building plan means a goodbye to
Louis Poulsen Lamps’s production facility.
The purpose of Local Plan 310 Teglværkshavnen is
to make it possible to develop the former industry-cumharbour area into a high-quality urban neighbourhood close
to the water, with housing, business, institutions, school
and recreation. The local plan is a general plan, continuously
enlarged through supplements to allow for various stages
in the building process. The area is located between the
harbour passage, Sydhavnsgade and Teglværkshavnen.
During the 1990s, when business construction boomed,
a number of administrative domiciles were built for ITcompanies and other high-technology firms such as Nokia
and Daimler/Benz, all of them designed as modern office
blocks placed at a right angle to Sydhavnsgade at Frederikskaj.
Sjoerd Soeters got the idea for the canal village at
Sluseholmen through his experiences with the artificially
established residential islands “Java Island” and “Borneo
Island”, both in Amsterdam. The Dutch inspiration is evident
in the newly constructed canals that define the general
character of the area. The new canal village was built on
eight islands. The islands are the result of canal digging –
with an overall pattern of connected house blocks around
protective courtyards.
In cooperation with the City of Copenhagen and Port
of Copenhagen, Ltd., Soeters and the Danish architectural
firm Arkitema have produced a master plan for Sluseholmen. This Dutch-Danish partnership resulted in a set of
architectural rules, or “dogmas”, for Sluseholmen.
The dogmas of the masterplan constitute a unifying
principle for Sluseholmen, but provides at the same time
an area of great diversity, where each building has an
individuality of its own. In order to create diversity in the
canal village, 25 different architectural firms were employed in the design of the houses. One dogma stipulates
that 5 architectural offices must be involved in each block.
The dwellings are arranged in 4 to 7 stories, and the design
and the size of the houses are dependent on their orientation: towards the harbour, towards a canal or towards a
promenade. Houses facing the smaller canals have only
4 stories. Canals, quays and bridges intersect the area
and make Sluseholmen a part of Copenhagen with a difference and of great variety.
One circumstance that contributes and will continue
to contribute to the extraordinary environment is the Valby
Boat Club and the north quay, designated to moor 10 to
12 houseboats. The variety and the differences in proportions speak about the history of the place and also of the
high housing quality of the present.
The northern part of Sluseholmen has been shaped
like an elongated peninsula, where the local plan permits
a tower construction of up to 40 m. The British architectural firm Future Systems has designed a residential
building, Metropolis, for the peninsula. Between the tower and the house blocks the plan is to establish an openair swimming facility, a “harbour bath”, of the same curved
design as the Metropolis.
23
Havneparken
Havnestaden
In 1984 the inhabitants of Islands Brygge laid out a park
on the former harbour areas. In 1994 the Island Brygge
Neighbourhood Council developed a plan for the areas,
which was incorporated in a local plan. Afterwards, in
1995, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. sold the areas to the City
of Copenhagen.
Today, Havneparken is a very popular recreational area,
not least owing to the ‘Harbour Bath’, established in 2001,
which the high quality of the water of the harbour had
made possible.
At the end of the 1990s, Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. sold
their properties in this area to ØK (the East-Asiatic Company). ØK had a general plan developed for the entire
“Sojakage-area” (the property and location of Dansk Sojakagefabrik, a soaybean cake company) and later sold the
areas to NCC, the Sjælsø Group and JM Danmark.
Havnestaden is especially known for the silos that used
to be part of Dansk Sojakagefabrik: Pressesilo, converted
to flats on the basis of a project by PLH Arkitekter, a Danish architectural firm, Wennberg Silo, converted to flats on
The “Harbour Bath” at Islands Brygge. Today the water in Copenhagen Harbour is as clean as the water of the Øresund. This enabled the
creation of a ‘beach’ in the middle of Copenhagen.
24
Today, the Frøsilo, once a part of the former soybean cake factory, has been converted into flats. As proposed in the competition by the Dutch
architectural firm MVRDV, the flats were mounted on the outside walls of the silos.
the basis of a project by the Danish architect Tage Lyneborg,
and Frøsilo, which was converted into the Gemini Residence. The architects behind the Genimi Residence are
the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV, assisted by a local firm,
JJW Arkitekter from Copenhagen.
The importance of the area is increased by the fact that
this is where Islands Brygge is connected via the Bryggebroen to Vesterbro, one of the old inner suburbs of Copenhagen.
Islands Brygge Syd
The local plan permits the construction of 1,500-1,700
dwellings and 30,000-50,000 sqm non-residential buildings in the area. One of the first constructions will be
“Vingerne” (The Wings), two houses designed by Bjarke
Ingels Group. Altogether they will have 130 flats and are
expected to be ready for occupation by 2009. Another
project on its way is the three tower blocks named The
three Sisters, which, combined, will contain about 200 flats.
The houses, which will have from 9 to 14 stories, were
designed by Boldsen and Holm Arkitekter.
In 2006 a local plan was adopted for Islands Brygge Syd.
Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. sold their properties to BHouse, a company formed by the Nordkranen Real-estate
Company and Carlyle Group, the investment company.
Together Port of Copenhagen, Ltd., B-House and NCC
arranged an architectural competition about the future of
the area. The competition was framed as a parallel assignment with three participating teams. The three teams
in the competition were made up by MVRDV/3xNielsen,
Exe/HPP and PLOT/West 8. The project chosen to be
further developed was prepared by the young Danish architectural firm PLOT and West 8. At a later point, Walls and
Kay Wilhelmsen A/S, owners of some of the sites, joined
in the development of the area.
Rendering of the three tower blocks named ”The Three Sisters.”
The houses are of different sizes, but together they form a unit.
Architects: Boldsen and Holm Arkitekter.
25
A new urban quarter
This part of Islands Brygge has the potential to become
an entirely new and exciting development in the harbour.
The area is bordered by Drechlersgade to the north, the
harbour to the west, and Amager Fælled, a protected
former common, on the east side, and the transition zone
to “Nokken” (allotments) to the south. This is a part of Copenhagen with a character of its own: rural towards the
east, and urban on a scale from compact to spacious towards the north and the south respectively, and harbourrelated towards the west.
One central idea in PLOT’s and West 8’s winning entry
consists in the re-creation and renewal of the Copenhagen
row house from the beginning of the 20th century, known
as “building society houses” – such as “Kartoffelrækkerne”
at Østerbro. Another central idea is the so-called “creek” –
a canal or small inlet that divides the large area into a
northern and a southern section. The northern part is urban in character. Here a tight pattern of urban terraced
houses is the dominating feature, only interrupted by the
occasional “visual strike” in the form of high-rises.
The creek itself is the most essential recreational element in the project. The intention behind the layout of the
northern part is that the bank will be sunlit well into the
evening hours. A “harbour bath” will be established with
sandy stretches, shaped according to the possibilities offered by the creek.
The transitions between water and land will be designed
differently at the southern end. The row houses, quite
simply, stand in the water, thus creating very original house
types. Finally, the intention is, by means of technical in-
26
stallations, to secure a sufficient flow in the creek. Towards
the west, a bridge across the creek will be established as
part of the harbour promenades.
The dominating house type in the area is the 3-storey
row house. It comes in several varieties: in the urban variety
of great compactness, but also at the edge of the harbour
along the promenade, close to the town centre.
For variety’s sake, and as a contrast to the repetitive
terrace structure, both house blocks and high-rises of
various designs are placed as “visual strikes” amongst the
row houses. The total effect is the creation of a dynamic
Overall plan of Islands Brygge Syd. Basically, the quarter is divided
into two areas. The northern part is characterized by narrow urban
spaces and forms the boundary of the compact neighbourhood of Islands Brygge. At the southern end, the buildings are scattered along
the water and in the green area. The two parts are separated by a small
inlet stretching from the harbour to Amager Fælled, the old common.
Study model of Islands Brygge Syd, situated in continuation of Havnestaden. In addition to the creek, a central element in the concept, the
architectural diversification of beach houses, row-houses and conspicuous high-rises is evident.
urban scene, where diversity and complexity are mixed
with repetition and homogeneity in the façades.
There are many types of high-rises: terraced houses
along the quay, a horseshoe-shaped house at the inlet and,
in and near the central urban square, solitary tower blocks of
many expressive designs. Here and at the promenade
along the harbour, the life of the quarter is expected especially to unfold. Space has been allocated in the raised
ground-floor stories for activities with a social address
that may enrich life in the open area and along the promenade, e.g. shops, galleries, restaurants, cafés, and workshops for various creative groups. In the dock there may
also be room for houseboats that might be used not only
as homes, but also for other purposes.
To the south of the inlet we meet another kind of neighbourhood: more scenic, different in architecture. There are
curved terraces of row houses, dwellings in tower blocks
broken in form, or shaped like budding flowers and, above
all, single-family properties parcelled out in a seemingly
chaotic pattern – the idea being that the neighbourhood
should resemble its surroundings and appear “homegrown”, but at the same time thoroughly planned. We shall
have a neighbourhood of an almost ”organic” quality, which
provides a meaningful counterpart to the northern half of
the area. Besides, this is where we find the existing, and
long-established, home of rowing clubs and boat clubs. A
down-to-earth arrangement, simple and straightforward of
architecture, which may serve passers-by or visitors as an
introduction to Nokken, further to the south.
Regarded as an urban quarter, Islands Brygge Syd will
differ from the other waterside quarters. Focus is pre-eminently on the scenic, but it is nevertheless located at the
doorstep of central Copenhagen. The amenities which may
be experienced here today shall, through thoroughgoing
conversion, have their qualities intensified, and at the
same time give pleasure to more people – both inhabitantsto-be and Copenhageners in general.
27
South of Sjællandsbroen
Østhavnen/Prøvestenen
The district south of Sjællandsbroen includes areas at
Bådehavnsgade, Fragtvej, Speditørvej, Fiskerhavnen and
Sejlklubvej, a large part of which are the property of The
Port & City Development Corporation. The leases in this
area are mostly held by boat clubs and minor businesses.
The future of the area has not yet been decided.
The Port & City Development Corporation also owns
properties further south, at the so-called “Tippen”, a green
area of about 50,000 sqm. According to the municipal plans,
a part of the area may be developed after 2017. Several
green organizations, however, want the entire expanse
preserved as a green area.
.
A substantial part of the activities of Port of Copenhagen,
Ltd. took place at Prøvestenen. Prøvestenen is used for
oil and stone, gravel and soil (liquid bulk and dry bulk cargo.)
Together, the Port & City Development Corporation and
the City of Copenhagen are enlarging Prøvestenen by 50
per cent, or 40 hectares. The extension takes place towards the south and the east.
The object of the enlargement of Prøvestenen is the
establishment of new docking facilities and areas for bulk
handling (stone, gravel, etc.), but the aim is also to give
Copenhageners new recreational possibilities.
Aerial photo of the Karens Minde-area, located south of Sjællandsbroen. Port of Copenhagen, Ltd. owns several of the areas, including many green areas.
28
Together, Prøvestenen and Nordhavnen constitute the commercial harbour. Prøvestenen is used for the handling
of oil and of stone, gravel and earth.
At present, 650 m piling has been established at a depth
of 13.5 m. Soil from building activities in Copenhagen is
deposited behind the piling.
The marina planned at the south end of Prøvestenen will
match Svanemøllehavnen in size and will thus be one of the
largest marinas in Denmark.
Prøvestenen will become the home of a new large marina,
quite close to Amager Strandpark, which was opened to
the public in the summer of 2005. The marina will eventually
have about 1,400 berths, that is approximately the same
size as Svanemøllehavnen, at the present moment Denmark’s largest marina.
29
Ørestad Development Corporation
31
Ørestad – a central
city quarter in the Sound region
Ørestad is a part of the Sound region, comprising Greater
Copenhagen and Scania, the southern part of Sweden. It
is one of the official border regions of the European Union and has become the new regional centre of Northern
Europe. Copenhagen is the hub of the region, where
Central and Northern Europe meet.
Among other reasons the Sound region has become a
regional centre due to its access to the Scandinavian and
Baltic markets, the highly developed infrastructure and
the high concentration of knowledge and know-how. The
attractive conditions in the region have made it the largest
urban area in Scandinavia with about 3.6 million inhabitants and a high concentration of jobs and professions.
Around 3,400 foreign-owned firms have settled in the
region. Furthermore, about 137,000 students have chosen
to study at one of the present 14 university level institutions
in the area, having around 10,000 teachers and lecturers.
Map of the Sound region, one of the official border regions of the
European Union, of which Ørestad is a part. Copenhagen is the hub
of the regional centre, where Central and Northern Europe meet.
Among other reasons the Sound region has become a regional centre
due to its access to the Scandinavian and Baltic markets, the highly
developed infrastructure and the high concentration of knowledge
and know-how.
The thoughts of making the Ørestad area Copenhagen’s
new urban development area started at the beginning of
the 1990s. Among other reasons, these thoughts were
inspired by the Act on the Sound bridge being passed in
1990 and the taking form of the Sound region as a DanishSwedish growth region.
Ørestad is situated between Copenhagen Airport and
the old city centre. This makes Copenhagen’s new quarter
a pivot in the Sound region. Furthermore, there is place and
space here for buildings that would otherwise, because of
size or architecture, not fit into the existing quarters of Copenhagen.
32
The founding of Ørestadsselskabet
The Act on Ørestadsselskabet I/S was passed on June
1992, and Ørestadsselskabet I/S itself was founded in
March 1993 by the City of Copenhagen and the Danish
state as a joint venture. Behind the founding of the corporation there was a wish to strengthen the development
of Copenhagen. This development was to be based on
Copenhagen’s position at the centre of the Sound region
and on the many characteristic qualities of the capital: An
attractive environment, a rich and varied urban life, a vibrant
culture and shopping life, a harmonious, but many-faceted
architecture, and internationally orientated business life.
The City of Copenhagen and the Danish state transferred the ownership of the 310-hectare Ørestad area to
the Ørestad Development Corporation. Hereafter, the task
of the corporation was to develop and sell sites in the new
quarter, Ørestad, and to build the Metro and invite tenders
for operating it. The development of Ørestad and the sales
of the sites will finance a part of the investment in the
Metro, which can therefore be built without straining the
budgets of neither State nor City.
There would be no Ørestad without Metro, and vice versa.
Those two are inextricably linked. This goes both financially, geographically and, not least, when it comes to quality.
The value connected with the Metro is the cornerstone of
selling sites in Ørestad. The Metro also plays a significant
role when it comes to the quality of the buildings in Ørestad. An efficient infrastructure makes it possible to get
leading Danish and international architects to design future
buildings in Ørestad. In a wider perspective, an efficient
infrastructure may guarantee a vibrant city. The profits from
the sales of these sites partly finance the Metro.
The masterplan of Ørestad
In accordance with the Ørestad Act, an open architectural
competition was offered on a masterplan for Ørestad. The
masterplan was thought to suggest the overall frames
for Ørestad. In 1995 a public debate was carried out about
four awarded projects, and it was decided that a entry
made by a team of Finnish architects would form the basis
of the planning. Together with the Danish architect firm
KHRAS, the Finnish architect formed the drawing office
ARKKI, which helped Ørestadsselskabet I/S working out
a masterplan for Ørestad. This work was completed in the
spring of 1995.
The masterplan aimed at Ørestad as a green neighbourhood with water and nature. A high architectural quality
would make it attractive for both Danish and foreign firms
to settle in Ørestad.
Furthermore, attractive dwellings and cultural buildings
are thought to attract new residents to the area. The masterplan also defined the essential features of Ørestad, including the layouts of the Metro and the most important
boulevards and the relationship between buildings and
the surrounding green areas.
A system of connected canals links Ørestad’s four different quarters, thus giving all of them a touch of shared
landscape. The layout of the canal system underlines the
specific and individual atmosphere of each quarter. For
instance, in Ørestad Nord there are two quite different
canals – one with scenic features and one with urban features. In a very curvy course meant to illustrate the typical
stream in the Danish landscape, Den Landskabelige
Kanal runs from KUA in Njalsgade past DR Byen and into
Grønjordssøen (the Landscape Canal).
The University Canal, the canal with the urban features,
has quite another shape. Going north-south in a geometrically stricter and straighter line, the canal runs from
Njalsgade to the Metro station at DR Byen. This canal is
integrated in the most significantly urban milieu in Ørestad
Nord and forms the basis – both when it comes to light
and function – of a varied, complex and many-faceted
urban life. Building these two canals has become possible
because of a strong wish to give priority to quality and
aesthetics.
Den Landskabelige Kanal (the Landscape Canal) runs from KUA in Njalsgade past DR Byen and into Grønjordssøen.
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The building rights on the first sites in Ørestad were sold
in 1997, among others to University of Copenhagen and
Projektselskabet (Field’s). After that, a whole series of
sales agreements were made, with DR (: Danish Broadcasting Corporation), Ferring, Telia, HS, KLP, and others.
Sales went fast, and by the end of 2002 the Ørestad Development Corporation had sold 20 per cent of the planned
building area. In 2007, about 53 per cent of the planned
building area in Ørestad has been sold.
The first non-residential buildings were used as early
as 1999. The most conspicuous office building, Ferring,
was used for the first time in January 2002. In 2002 a
series of the important infrastructural building activities
was finished: Ørestad Boulevard opened, the bridges over
the Sound motorway were finished, so was the first part
of the university canal, and work on the main canal started.
Furthermore, all the areas in front of the Metro stations in
Ørestad were finished before the Metro opened in October 2002.
In the spring 2003 the building of the first housing estate, the Karen Blixen Park, started.
Art in Ørestad
The Metro and the tower of the head office of the pharmaceutical firm
Ferring were two of the first projects in Ørestad. With its 19 floors
the Ferring Tower has become a landmark of Ørestad City and Ørestad
in general, just as the elevated railway of the Metro is characteristic
of the image of Ørestad.
Some of Denmark’s leading artists contribute to the decoration of Ørestad. Normally sculptures are placed in an
already existing town or city. In Ørestad it is done the other
way around. Cultural works have been created and placed
as the city has grown to life. Three conspicuous works of
art have been planned in Ørestad. Two of these are already
here. The first one was Per Kirkby’s mural sculpture situated between Amager Fælled and Ørestad Nord. The
sculpture can be seen as a welcome or as a goodbye –
depending on the viewer’s point of view.
The first projects
In June 1996, the City of Copenhagen adopted the additional plans for Ørestad. Having done this, everything was
clear to start the first building activities in Ørestad.
It is The Port & City Development Corporation I/S that
is responsible for the necessary infrastructure in the general plan and the additional plan put forward by the City.
Among other things, Ørestad Development Corporation is
responsible for the overall road system including squares,
the main path system, areas in connexion with the Metro,
canals and water areas, and the common green areas in
Ørestad.
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Per Kirkeby´s mural sculpture can be seen as a welcome or as
a goodbye – depending on the viewer’s point of view.
In Amager Fælled Kvarteret a work of art by Bjørn Nørgaard
will be placed at Vejlands Allé. It consists of a pavilion
named Kærlighedsøen (island of love), which will be
erected on an island in the future lake area. It will be used
for excursions and shared recreation.
The third work of art is placed in Ørestad Syd, namely
Hein Heinsen´s sculpture ”Den store Udveksler” (the
great exchanger). The transition from the packed city that
will be built here to the wide open landscape will be dramatic and characteristic of the new urban area. The 7.5
metre tall bronze sculpture is thought to mark the transition from city to countryside.
The great connecting factor is the overall building structure
that operates with rural-urban transitions and with transitions from one characteristic urban structure to another.
It is all connected by the Metro and a north-south system
of paths and roads. Seen from the air it resembles a giant
tie on the island of Amager.
Today local plans and additional plans have been made
for Ørestad Nord, Ørestad City, Ørestad Syd and Amager
Fælled Øst. The local plan for Amager Fælled Vest will be
passed later.
The Act on Ørestad Development Corporation implies
that Ørestad will expand over 30 to 40 years. In the first
Urban life in Ørestad at VM Husene.
Hein Heinsen´s sculpture ”Den store udveksler” in Ørestad Syd
marks the transition from city to countryside, a transition characteristic of the layout of Ørestad Syd.
The four quarters of Ørestad
Ørestad is divided into four quarters, each one having its
own characteristic features, namely Ørestad Nord, Amager
Fælled, Ørestad City and Ørestad Syd.
phases, planning has concentrated on developing Ørestad
Nord and Ørestad City. Ørestad Syd will presumably be
finished within the next 10 years, while the building of the
western part of the Amager Fælled quarter according to
the local plan may be commenced in 2017. Ørestad Development Corporation has asked the City of Copenhagen
to push forward the planning of the Amager Fælled quarter,
so that building may start within the next 4 or 5 years.
Ørestad North is the most built-up urban quarter in
Ørestad. There are residential areas and a hall of residence and big Copenhagen institutions such as DR Byen,
the IT University and the Amager branch of University of
Copenhagen. Housing these institutions, the Ørestad
Nord quarter has become a vibrant, international educational and development centre for culture, media and
communication technology.
In the Amager Fælled quarter only the eastern part
has been developed so far. In the eastern part we find
Amager Hospital, the residential area Solstriben, Ørestad
Friskole and the day care centre Småland.
According to the local plan, the Amager Fælled quarter
will be the last developed part of Ørestad.
Ørestad City is already today a vibrant and pulsating
urban area thanks to the many people who have moved
into the many new flats and offices. The central places
here are Kay Fiskers Plads by the Ørestad Metro and the
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regional train station connecting Copenhagen and Malmö.
The pulsating shopping centre Field´s also creates life, and
the golf course, Copenhagen Golf Park, offers recreation
and leisure for new residents and people working in Ørestad.
Ørestad Syd will be a dense and varied urban community
with offices, flats, shops, schools and other institutions.
In the long run Ørestad Syd will be the most populated quarter in Ørestad. About 10,000 persons will move in, and
further 15,000 will have jobs here. The area borders on the
preservation area of Kalvebod Fælled. Already now many
of the sites in the quarter have been sold, and the first
buildings will rise in 2007 and 2008.
Residents in Ørestad
In the summer of 2006 TNS Gallup carried out a survey
for Ørestad Development Corporation among the persons
who have chosen to buy or rent flats in Ørestad. The survey was carried out exclusively among private individuals.
The aim of the survey was to shed light on the profiles of
residents in Ørestad and on their motives behind choosing flats in Ørestad. Among other things, the survey
showed that many young people have chosen to settle in
Ørestad. Thus, every third resident is under 30 years of
age, and 28 per cent are between 30 and 39. Furthermore, the survey showed that many residents have chosen
to live in Ørestad because of the short distance to Copenhagen City, but also that other factors about Ørestad
are attractive, for instance the efficient public transportation and the short distance to the beach and nature in
general. Being able to partly design their own flats also
greatly influences those who settle in the many flexible
residential buildings in Ørestad. Among the many aspects
of Ørestad, architecture was mentioned as the most positive one, whereas the surveyees saw parking conditions
as the most negative one.
That Ørestad is also highly attractive to young people
and that the area will also be the home for many young
people and children in the future appears in the statistics.
According to the national register, in April 2007 there
were more children aged 0-6 in Ørestad than in any other
part of Copenhagen. The same source also showed that
there are far more 18-24-year-olds and 25-34-year-olds,
but fewer +35-year-olds than in other parts of Copenhagen.
Schools and day care centres
With so many young people and children there are plans
to build municipal schools in Ørestad. An area in Ørestad
City has been set aside for this purpose, close to the new
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upper secondary school, Ørestad Gymnasium. The school
will be built in 2008 and 2009 and will open not later
than 2009. There will be many day care institutions in
Ørestad. The coming schools and institutions will have impact on urban life in Ørestad. Together with other urban
functions such as workshops, so-called culture houses
and cafés the new school and day care institutions contribute to a quarter full of life, diversity and quality.
Ørestad Nord
Ørestad Nord is the Ørestad quarter that is closest to the
centre of Copenhagen, thereby forming the border zone
between ”old Copenhagen” and ”new Copenhagen”. Ørestad
directly borders on densely populated urban districts, to
the west Islands Brygge, to the east Amagerbro and to the
north a future development area – until now, the local plan
for that area only stipulates the building of a large Islamic
mosque.
Today Ørestad Nord has become Copenhagen´s new
centre for art and culture, media and communication technology. The neighbourhood attains its particular importance
because of a whole range of central institutions characteristic of Copenhagen: the Amager branch of University
of Copenhagen (the Faculty of Humanities), the IT University and DR Byen (Danish Broadcasting Corporation,
DBC-City) with its many functions and the unique concert
hall, all extrovert institutions creating a diverse urban life
in the northern part of Ørestad.
In the early sketches for Ørestad Nord it was suggested
that the area would be a social experimental laboratory
for new ways of living together and for new public spaces
in modern networking society. Crossing trades and lines
of professions and business, Ørestad Nord will breed ideas and contacts that will result in new ways of living and
being together, projects and products.
In Ørestad Nord, University of Copenhagen (KUA), the
IT University and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation
cooperate in creating a quarter full of life, diversity and
sense of community. Through the association Ørestad Nord
Gruppen it is the intention of these institutions to encourage both social urban environment and the professional
network between the institutions themselves.
An initiative worked on by this association has been
calling for tenders of the canteens of these institutions,
so that conventional canteens are substituted by restaurants and cafés placed in the lower floors of the buildings.
Hence, employees and students can go visit each other in
the lunch breaks and exchange experiences, create contacts and get new ideas and new inspiration. The open
environment will also make local residents and neighbours
use the quarter more actively. The association works on
using rooms, buildings and outdoor areas for other purposes than the usual, day-time ones. For example, the university premises may be used for lectures and plays and the
new multimedia house in DR Byen may be used to show
films and for concerts.
Among the many projects and initiatives are recurrent
events such as the Humanities Festival of the University
of Copenhagen and the P3 Public Service Festival of the
Danish Broadcasting Corporation, which took place for
the first time in Ørestad Nord in August 2005. Such events
make Ørestad Nord more of an asset to the entire Copenhagen region.
In the planning process for building on the site, which
was previously supposed to house a new national record
office, choosing functions that may strengthen urban diversity in Ørestad Nord has a high priority. A local plan for
the area is expected by the middle of 2009.
The overall structure plan for Ørestad Nord was settled
in connexion with an architectural competition held in 1997.
The architect firm KHRAS won the competition with a
principal idea characterized by north-south running wing
buildings.
In the further development this principle has been somewhat put aside. The architectural competitions for Tietgenkollegiet and DR Byen broke with more traditional structures and gave Ørestad quite different and modern urban
designs.
Already today there is a quite vibrant life in Ørestad, not
least during the daytime when there are many people in
streets, squares and other areas of the city. Apparently the
planned interaction between buildings and functions, between university rooms and city dwellings, between DR Byen
and the Metro – and between many more things – works.
Bikuben Kollegiet
At the corner of Njalsgade and Amager Fælledvej Kollegiefonden Bikuben has built a spectacular, seven-storied
hall of residence designed by A.A.R.T. architects. The building houses 96 one-roomed and 4 two-roomed flats, 3
adapted flats and 4 two-floored family flats. The complex
has exercise facilities, a studio, a laundry room, a reading
room, a lounge with a roof terrace, an assembly hall and
common kitchens and rooms for general use.
Karen Blixen Parken
Along Universitetskanalen (the University Canal) with a view
over Den Landskabelige Kanal (the Landscape Canal) and
Grønningen (the green area) is the residential area Karen
Blixen Parken, designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen’s drawing
office. The complex is special, because some flats can be
owned, some rented and some function according to the
combined ”andels” principle, somewhat like condos. The
flats are surrounded by light, air and green oases with playgrounds.
Karen Blixen Parken is a traditional residential area with high-quality flats. The balconies turn towards the green wedge of the area – in general Karen
Blixen Parken occupies a unique position close to the university and DR Byen.
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are new stairways and outdoor facilities in unconventional
shapes and with green areas. The Serpent must be seen
as one of the many experiments and innovative approaches in the development of new housing blocks which
abound all over Ørestad and which will keep appearing in
the years to come. The architect behind Fælledhaven is
Domus Arkitekter A/S. The architect behind Universitetshaven is Arkitema.
Københavns Universitet Amager (KUA)
Boligslangen is a quite new experiment in Danish building, in which
blocks of flats are constructed so that some parts are open and characterized by green gardens and parks in a vertical structure. Adding
the snake-like shape of the complex, an organic and original architectural unity is achieved.
Boligslangen
Boligslangen (the Housing Serpent) is the biggest housing
project in Ørestad so far. The whole complex will consist
of more than 300 flats and a day care centre. At several
points the Serpent intertwines with Den Landskabelige
Kanal, which runs from KUA in Njalsgade past DR Byen
and into Grønjordssøen. In the Serpent there are two different buildings under the same roof, Fælledhaven and
Universitetshaven. Fælledhaven is comprised of conventional flats, Universitetshaven of owner-occupied and ”andels” flats. The buildings stand as two blocks, where the
roof is hovering over the opening between the two houses and yet connecting them, which gives the complex a
flexible and curvy touch. The buildings are connected by a
gate crossing the canal. Particularly in Fælledhaven, there
Establishing the bridge between central Copenhagen and
Ørestad started with the expansion of University of Copenhagen, Amager (KUA). With the new, light buildings by
Universitetskanalen, drawn by KHR Arkitekter, KUA was
expanded by 40,000 sqm in 2002.
The expansion gave room for further 5,000 students.
Architects were particularly inspired by the old English university buildings. The original buildings are still used for
educational purposes, but in a coming project the original
buildings will be demolished and substituted by new ones.
Tietgenkollegiet
The Nordea Danmark Fonden and the Fonden Tietgenkollegiet are behind building Tietgenkollegiet, which was
inaugurated in May 2007. The hall of residence houses
about 400 residents. It is formed as a rotunda with seven
floors. The building is intersected by five vertical lines
which both visually and functionally divide the building
into sections. At the same time these lines function as
Tietgenkollegiet got a shape nobody had expected. The north-south running structure of the local plan was substituted by a rotunda, inspired by
a Medieval building concept from southern China, with references to the town ideals of the Renaissance.
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The KUA plan implies space between the buildings, and the students fill these spaces every day, giving impression of urban life.
passages, from the outside giving access to the central yard
and the floors of the complex. In the ground floor there
are shared facilities such as a café, an assembly hall,
study and computer rooms, workshops, a laundry room,
music and meeting rooms and bicycle parking. The flats
are placed on all the other floors, 12 flats in each segment
of the building. All rooms have a view over the surrounding landscape. Communal kitchens and rooms, terraces
and sculleries all face the central yard, thereby underlining
the atmosphere of community in the building. Lundgaard
& Tranberg A/S are the architects behind this new hall of
residence.
The IT University
In 2004 the IT University moved to Ørestad Nord. The
new buildings of the IT University were designed by Henning Larsens Tegnestue. Characteristic features of building include is the 25-metre tall atrium with incoming light
and meeting rooms with TV screens and walls in glass.
The IT University has room for 3,000 students and contains class and lecture rooms, offices for researchers and
scientists, a multimedia lab, a students´ café and a canteen.
Furthermore, the building is home to the organization
Crossroads Copenhagen and to the IT Growth House.
In its architectural appearance, the IT University is a computer, a piece
of mega design mirroring its own technology. Form and content strive
for the same, but the room and the life and behaviour of its users
makes it a vibrant urban house in Ørestad.
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DR Byen
In 2006, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DBC)
concentrated all its activities in the capital, except the
concert halls, at the same address in Ørestad Nord at DR
Byen. From the very beginning this was a project of high
ambitions. It was planned to be one of the largest media
buildings in the world, and the physical framework in itself
suggested sky-high ambitions both as to architecture, functions and technological advance. At the same time, recent
international results in the fields of sustainability and environment should be considered.
Initially a great architectural competition was held for DR
Byen as a whole, with both Danish and international recognized architects. The Danish architect firm Wilhelm
Lauritzen Arkitekter won the competition with a project
focusing on closeness and functional connexions. Particularly the competition for the concert hall segment, won
by French star architect Jean Nouvel, attracted international attention. The forming of the News section was
also decided through an architectural competition, as was
the final segment 3, housing offices, administration etc.
The first building in the new DR By was inaugurated
in 2005. During that year, an increasing number of DR
staff moved into the new surroundings in Ørestad Nord.
DR Byen is comprised of four segments built in phases
and designed by various architect firm. These firms are
Wilhelm Lauritzen A/S, DISSING+WEITLING, Ateliers
Jean Nouvel, Gottlieb & Paludan and NOBEL arkitekter a/s.
The overall plan is inspired by the central part of the
cities of the Arab world, the kasbah. Here the extroverted
functions in the four segments are squeezed together, an
architectural idea to secure connexions and space to live
and be creative in. The central element is the inner street
linking the four segments.
Segment 1 is the largest one in DR Byen, housing reception, studios, editorial offices, depots, etc. The building
has large glass fronts giving passersby a free view into
the offices and studios.
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Segment 2 contains the News and the Sports sections.
The centre and heart of the building is a large and open
room, characterized by a soft and organic form and by a
degree of transparency, as the light comes in on all work
stations in the house.
Segment 3 is the smallest of the four segments and
the base of the administration of the corporation and of
Københavns Radio. The main theme is a very open house
of cards, which using a concept of transparency is kept
together by large hothouses suitable for breaks and rest.
The concert hall
The fourth segment in DR Byen is the new concert hall
with 1,800 seats. Seen from the outside, the building, designed by the world famous French architect Jean Nouvel,
seems simple: a monumental cobalt blue dome rises 45
metres. But the inside is full of complex, organic structures
whose asymmetry gives excellent acoustics.
With its colossal volume the concert hall itself rises into
the space of the building, creating room for a spacious
and quite unique system of foyers. This is a most advanced
construction which required thorough engineering thinking – making such a large room for 1,600 guests hover
four or five floors high is a big challenge. The supporting
pillars are placed so that the foyer and the entrance area
are given lightness and at the same time full daylight.
Thus, transition between outdoors and indoors, or the very
arrival at the concert hall, becomes an impressive experience for the audience.
Rendering of the interior architecture of the concert hall in DR Byen.
Entering the concert hall is like entering a jewel box. With upholstered
chairs and walls in exquisite hardwood the elastic, asymmetric room
gets its final quality as a unique auditorium with equally unique acoustics.
The interior architecture of the hall is like a jewel box. Upholstered chairs and walls in exquisite hardwood give the
elastic, asymmetric room its final quality as a unique auditorium with particularly sophisticated acoustics.
In the evening the blue exterior screen of the hall may
be used for projecting and enlarging pictures, works of art
or texts, creating a living wall facing the city. But the screen
may also be made invisible, both day and night. Setting
lights correctly makes it possible to make the concert hall
appear like a hovering body of a building.
Much seems to indicate that the concert hall due to its
combination of unique architecture, excellent acoustics
and a fantastic symphony orchestra will elevate both DR
Byen, Ørestad and Copenhagen to the world elite.
The Amager Fælled Quarter
The Amager Fælled Quarter stretches from Vejlands Allé
in the south to Grønjordsvej in the north. The whole northern part is comprised of the green areas around Grønjordssøen - in May 2007 a viewing bridge was inaugurated here. In 2001 Amager Hospital, also situated in the
Amager Fælled Quarter, was inaugurated. The hospital is
close to Sundby Metrostation and the natural reserve of
Amager Fælled. The architects behind the hospital are AA
Arkitekter A/S.
North of Amager Hospital, the construction and property development company NCC, in cooperation with the
architect firm Boldsen and Holm, designed the residential
area Solstriben (: the Sunny Patch), parallel with the low
parts of the Metro. Solstriben is formed in a simple and
clear plan, with 2-5-floored, unpretentious houses.
As to the future of the area, it should be pointed out
that the western part of the Amager Fælled Quarter is
planned to be finished as the last one in Ørestad. According to the sequence of development in the plan made by
the City of Copenhagen, it is expected to be built in some
years. If changes in the sequences of this plan are made,
building this quarter will happen earlier.
The quarter occupies a very sensitive landscape, which
constitutes a great challenge for the city planners and architects who are to design the main features of this area.
Solstriben is made up by predominantly close-low buildings placed
along the eastern Metro bank. The complex is characterized by gardens and forms a gentle transition between the open landscape, the
Metro, Ørestad and the traditional one-family houses in the older
residential areas on Amager.
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Ørestad City
Ørestad City is the quarter in the cross field. It is defined
by the area where the north-south running Metro and
road connexion crosses the east-west link to Sweden and
Jutland. Hence, Ørestad is the most central area in the
Sound region.
Ørestad City will be a dense quarter, but already today
this district boasts a vibrant and diverse urban life based
on the special and mixed functions found here, e.g. shopping centre, upper secondary school, flats and the Metro
and regional train station.
The central urban space is Kay Fiskers Plads. Characteristic is the basin with the pyramid-shaped concrete light
devices. The water from the basin runs through the water
lily cascades to the big canal. Every year Kay Fiskers
Plads is the starting point or centre of events such as
Dansefestivalen (dance festival) and Ørestadsløbet.
The majestic Ferring building has become a landmark of Ørestad.
The tower in Ørestad City will not be the last one: in the future eight
more towers will be built in Ørestad.
Dance festival in Ørestad City at Kay Fiskers Plads in front of Field´s.
The dance festival is an annually recurrent event attracting many
people, both participants and spectators.
tration. The administration sit in the twenty-storey transparent tower, built in glass and a black painted facing.
With its new headquarters Ferring consolidated its
activities in Malmö, Copenhagen and Kiel. The Ferring
tower will not be the last one in Ørestad. Within some
years eight more towers will be built in Ørestad City and
Ørestad Syd.
Ferring International Center
Field´s
On the highest point in Ørestad stands a majestic landmark, the tower of the Ferring headquarters. In Ferring International Center key functions such as product development,
registration of pharmaceuticals and international marketing are carried out.
The building was designed by Henning Larsens Tegnestue and consists of two parts formed according to their
functions. Ferring´s laboratory is placed in a three-storey
building closing in on two ”green” courtyards. Turning eastwards, away from the crowds at Kay Fiskers Plads and
the Metro station, there is room her for quiet and concen-
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The shopping centre Field’s is the largest shopping and
leisure centre in Scandinavia. Besides a wide choice of
shops, the centre also boasts many different restaurants
and leisure activities, e.g. a children´s fun centre, a 12
hole indoor golf course, hairdressers and a fitness centre.
In the future there will also be offices, a hotel and a cinema. Field’s employs both Danish and Swedish staff, a policy that strengthens Danish-Swedish integration and the
position of Ørestad City as centre and hub of Ørestad.
VM Husene is an experiment with new housing forms and different transitions between the houses and their arrival area. The buildings are tall,
but because of the dominant glass fronts a very expressive flat concept is created.
VM Husene
VM Bjerget
VM Husene (the VM Buildings) are some quite conspicuous flat buildings in Ørestad City. The complex consists of
two buildings forming, seen from above, a V and an M respectively. The flats have pointed balconies facing south
and rooms with up to 5 metre high ceilings. In order not
to limit the incoming light the architects behind the project,
PLOT, have not used partitions on the balconies.
Outdoors light and space have also had high priority.
VM Husene have been built on five metre tall pillars, so
there is light and openness in the northern atrium courtyard, whereas a sunny front garden presents itself at the
large green of the complex.
The 212 condos and owner-occupied flats share facilities such as bicycle parking, assembly halls and an integrated day care centre, which are all parts of the complex.
VM Bjerget (the VM Mountain) is close to VM Husene
and interplaying geometrically, thus preserving the views
over the park in Ørestad City and the older residential areas on Amager. From the tenth floor in the northwestern
corner of VM Bjerget to the ground floor in the southeastern corner 80 flats with roof terraces and lush terrace gardens will spread on the foundation, which consists of a gigantic parking house holding about 480 cars.
As it happens, the flats have been built on an artificial
slope. The parking house is built into the bank with unusual,
high-ceilinged and cathedral-like rooms. Bjarke Ingels
from BIG is the architect. The clients as to the flats are
Dansk Olie Kompagni A/S and Høpfner A/S, while Ørestadsparkering A/S has ordered the parking house. The
complex will be finished in 2009.
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KLP
Ørestad Down Town
Dissing+Weitling designed the eight storey office building
of KLP Ejendomme A/S, where the design of the front
interplays with both canal and Arne Jacobsens Allé. Various
flat sizes are for rent. KLP Ejendomme is about to expand
with two more office buildings in Ørestad City, one, drawn
by Gottlieb & Paludan, close to Ferring, the other one also
in Arne Jacobsens Allé next to KLP’s first building.
The world-famous Polish-American architect Daniel
Libeskind has created a master plan for a large area in
Ørestad City.
The plan is based on open, attractive public spaces as
the primary elements. These urban spaces will run in sequences which, together with the adjoining buildings, may
remind of the old centre of Copenhagen or similar places
in New York, Berlin and Barcelona. There is no doubt that
the area will be an important hub in Ørestad in the future.
Presently Hotel CABINN Metro is being built. It will
be Denmark’s biggest hotel with a capacity of more than
700 beds. CABINN Metro was also drawn by Studio
Daniel Libeskind and will be an attraction in itself. Driving
down Center Boulevard in 2009, one will experience
Libeskind’s red gables and blue and grey fronts with aluminium profiles challenging conventional expectations
of well-ordered, horizontal lines and distinct floor divisions.
Situated most visibly in the district, the hotel will be a
typical example of Libeskind’s characteristic play with
form and lines.
Besides the master plan for Ørestad Down Town and
the designing of the new CABINN Hotel, Studio Daniel
Libeskind is also in the first phases of a project on the
towers in the plan.
As a piece of solid and beautiful architecture the KLP building guarantees the shape and space of the city and sets an example for modern
urban builders.
In Ørestad Down Town, American star architect Daniel Libeskind, who focuses on simple, direct and naïve forms and expressive architecture,
dominates – here suggested by landmarking tower blocks that would visualize the uniqueness of Ørestad.
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Around Ørestad City Park
Byparken is the green heart of Ørestad and is situated on
a 170 x 450 metre area – the same size as Ørstedsparken
in central Copenhagen.
Ørestad City Bypark is supposed to be a mini-version
of Central Park in New York City. Surrounded by buildings
it will appear as a piece of nature in the middle of a city of
rising, spectacular blocks. The buildings contain between
120 and 170 flats on 8-12 floors. The houseowners´ association cooperates with the residents about designing
the park. Already now the park is used by residents and
neighbours, who play ball and exercise their dogs etc.,
and in the future there will be grilling areas and playgrounds. The trees of the park have been planted and in
due course they will offer shelter and shade.
To secure high quality and coordination, the Ørestad
Development Corporation asked a number of leading
architect firms to design a building project each while
suggesting some common guiding lines for the entire park
project. Therefore, the buildings had been drawn before
the sites were sold, whereupon it was the task of the
Ørestad Development Corporation to sell the fully designed
building sites.
By choosing this untraditional way of developing the
district the Corporation has avoided a park full of mismatching buildings – instead a harmonious and coherent
element in the city has been secured. There are eight
sites with connected building projects.
Pension Danmark has ordered the flats, Horisonten,
that consist of 180 flats to be owned or rented.
The flats have views over Amager Fælled and Ørestad
City Park. The sizes vary between 70 and 147 sqm. In 2005,
Pension Danmark bought another 7,600 sqm for building
even more flats near the park.
Aktivgruppen and Lejerbo built Parkhusene in two
phases. First phase consists of 63 flats for rent on 11
floors. Second phase consists of 57 condos on 8 floors.
In some parts of the buildings the top floor has been converted into a 150 sqm roof garden. On the ground floor
there will be a café, a supermarket and other facilities.
The architect behind the project is Arkitema.
The building society KAB builds Sejlhuset. Sejlhuset
was designed by the architects in Vandkunsten, who have
created a partly open block being between 8 and 12 stories tall. On the eighth floor a communal roof terrace has
been constructed. The building contains 118 flats with
between two and four rooms. Each flat will have two balconies with moveable ”sails” screening against the sun
and the wind. These ”sails” have inspired to the name of
the building and will affect the interior climate positively,
particularly in the summer. On the ground floor there is a
municipal day care centre, and there are communal rooms
for the residents.
Ørestad City Bypark, City Husene in the background.
Arkitektgruppen developed City Husene. City Husene, all
owners’ flats, contain two to four rooms and have large
panes of glass securing ample natural light. The flats
have views in at least two directions and their sizes vary
between 83 and 113 sqm. The architect is Vandkunsten.
Nordbornholms Byggeforening and Cargill build Copenhagen Golf Park, which will hold both dwellings and offices
and other non-residential activities. The non-residential
activities will be placed in Arne Jacobsens Allé. The buildings will consist of 148 flats whose residents will enjoy the
views over Amager Fælled and the coming golf course.
Domus Arkitekter A/S designed Copenhagen Golf Park.
Kuben Byg A/S has ordered Det Flexible Hus, having
124 flats to be owned. Det Flexible Hus was designed by
Arkitema. Arkitema has created a housing block in which
the exterior architecture reflects the variation of the interior.
45
White surfaces interplay with large panes of glass – and
steel and wood form the contrasts. Det Flexible Hus is
built in 8 floors changing with 11 and 12 storey towers.
Sjælsø Gruppen A/S builds Ørestadshuset, containing 127 owner-occupied flats, varying between 78 and 105
sqm and two to four rooms. The architects, Lundgaard
and Tranberg A/S, were inspired by the houses in New
York City, where many people live close together in vibrant
urban surroundings. The buildings have open bay windows in connexion with the balconies, placed for optimal
sunlight. The floor of one balcony functions as the roof of
the balcony below, yielding shelter on parts of the balcony.
Signalhuset
Ørestad City also offers dwellings for young people. At the
corner of Arne Jacobsens Allé and Edvard Thomsens Vej,
Lejerbo builds flats for young people following a quite new
concept. Signalhuset contains about 290 flats on nine
floors for young people. Signalhuset is constructed on the
basis of a new and exciting concept, where four residents
Signalhuset contains flats for young people and is therefore one
of many projects that attract many young people to Ørestad.
have their own rooms but share a combined kitchen and
living room and two toilettes with showers. This unit of
110 sqm may easily be converted into a conventional onefamily flat. Nobel Arkitekter designed Signalhuset
Ørestad Gymnasium
Ørestad City is not only offices, shops and dwellings, but
also a district full of many young students from Ørestad
Gymnasium, the first new Gymnasium in Copenhagen in
35 years. It was inaugurated in May 2007. The architects
3xNielsen have created the first Gymnasium in Denmark
living up to the new visions of content, subjects, organization and learning systems which are essential in the reform of the Danish Gymnasium that came into operation
in 2005. Flexibility and openness are the key words in
the new Gymnasium building that does not have neither
traditional classrooms and communal rooms nor the
traditional division between students and teachers. The
Gymnasium has been divided into four zones on each
floor, connected by a wide, spiral staircase, which forms
the main axis of the building. The Gymnasium consists of
open rooms, working zones, nooks for creativity and
thinking and areas for social activities.
Ørestad Gymnasium is a public, free and open school
with a high profile as to media, communication and culture.
Anyone living in the Sound region can apply for admission, i.e. both young Danes and Swedes, thereby making
Ørestad Gymnasium an important regional factor in the
Danish-Swedish integration. Interest has been significant.
It is the most applied-for Gymnasium in Denmark, and
with its 800 students Ørestad Gymnasium will also play
an important role when it comes to adding life to the
district.
The exterior architecture of Ørestad Gymnasium signals books and knowledge, where the interior signals openness and flexibility.
46
Building out and completing Ørestad Syd promises to become an example of a breakthrough in modern city building. The overall vision and the
local plan stipulate a varied combination of urban spaces, from the north-south running green belts over streets and alleys to more dense and
urban surroundings. The houses and blocks forming the city have been designed with much variation and architectural innovation. In the development process the focus has been on urban closeness in all its facets. From an international perspective Ørestad Syd is developing into one
of the most interesting urban development areas in recent times.
Ørestad Syd
New urban places and spaces
The quarter Ørestad Syd, stretching from the Øresund
motorway to the city limits at Kalvebod Fælled, may from
an overall perspective be characterized as the city in the
open landscape. This is the southernmost part of Ørestad,
and there is a clear demarcation between the district and
the preserved areas of Western Amager.
In Ørestad Syd the architect firm ARKKI wanted to
clearly define urban units contrasting the landscape. Thus,
the buildings in Ørestad will add to the emphasis on the
landscape, the sky and spaces. Furthermore, focus is on
building densely, giving the synergy effect that people live
and work close to each other – the precondition of the
birth of a city.
Ørestad Syd is the modern version of traditional and
historical ideals of the good city – a dense city whose
major squares, streets and alleys all together form urban
diversity organized in a simple structure.
The structure is that of three north-south running green
fingers, each with its own special urban landscape.
Ørestad City is a new way of building a city, where urban
spaces are created before the houses.
It appears in the local plan for Ørestad Syd that the
position between the preserved Kalvebod Fælled and the
Metro must be used to make Ørestad Syd an attractive,
integrated urban area. Through a balance between residential and non-residential, it is the aim to create optimal
conditions for a multi-functional use that may support a
diverse city life, counteract architectural uniformity and
monotony and secure safe surroundings full of life.
Proportionally, there will be more dwellings in areas
viewing green areas and fewer dwellings in areas close to
heavy traffic, but all blocks will be residential/non-residential mixed. The majority of the flats will be large flats
suited for families, which are still in shortage in Copenhagen.
About 500 smaller flats will also be built, including halls
of residence.
The local plan also describes a hierarchy of urban
spaces offering different kinds of uses and commercial,
cultural and recreational activities. Along the main pedestrian street, shops, restaurants and other public functions
are prioritised – at the same time cultural, social and leisure
47
functions should be integrated. Thus, a varied and vibrant
environment is created. All in all, eight places will function
as local meeting points and social landmarks in the quarter.
Based on the local plan for Ørestad Syd, in an architectural competition in 2006 the Øresund Development
Corporation invited suggestions for a master plan for the
urban spaces in Ørestad Syd. Seven squares and three
oblong urban spaces were to be designed for the new
quarter. It was required that these urban spaces should
support urban life around the clock and keep a balance
between quiet and activity.
The architectural competition for the urban spaces in Ørestad, held by
the Øresund Development Corporation, was won by landscape
architects GHB Landskabsarkitekter A/S and Bystrup Arkitekter. GHB’s
proposals – like the one above – all feature water as a theme.
The winners of the competition were found in 2007 –
GHB Landskabsarkitekter A/S and Bystrup Arkitekter A/S
shared the first prize. GHB’s proposals all feature water
as a theme. At the award ceremony the overall proposal
was described as ”charming, seductive and of a high architectural quality”. The judges thought that Bystrup’s proposal used two places facing Amager Fælled better, and
therefore GHB´s first prize was slightly smaller. At these
two places the themes are light and wind.
A unique quarter
Copenhagen will have a quite new neighbourhood in Ørestad Syd. The designs of blocks and flats will be international and experimental. The residents will experience
both living in a capital and in the middle of nature. Ørestad
Syd will be a vibrant place of 10,000 residents. Life here
will be generated from the many functions in the quarter,
such as shops, cafés, parks, canals, etc. All these functions
will be surrounded by 2,000 hectare preserved nature.
Ørestad will be the most populated area in Ørestad, its
dwellings housing about 10,000 people. Commuters, residents, employees, school children and others will stir the
area to life every hour of the day.
48
Apart from a comprehensive school, which the City of
Copenhagen is currently planning, there will be a need for
day care institutions, just as a health care centre and a
church may be built in the quarter.
Most shops, institutions and other public functions will
be placed along the main pedestrian street, which will
start at Vestamager Metro station.
South and west of Ørestad Syd we find Kalvebod
Fælled. The transition from the dense city to the wide
open landscape will be dramatic. This transition may best
be compared with the transition between Copenhagen
and the Sound. The artist Hein Heinsen’s 7.5 metre tall
bronze sculpture, ”The Great Changer”, is thought as a
symbol of the transition from city to countryside.
The more than 2,000 hectare large common offers a
rich plant and animal life in an open landscape. There is a
reserve her, a sanctuary for ducks, geese and wading
birds. At Kalvebod Fælled we find Naturcenter Vestamager
and its changing exhibitions of nature in the area. Close
to the Naturcenter lies the playground Naturlegepladsen
Himmelhøj, created by Italian landscape architect Alfio
Bonnano.
Development in Ørestad Syd has been fast. Politically,
the local plan was passed by the city council in December
2005 and January 2006. Roads and squares are built
now, lakes are dug out, etc., and the first flats have been
put up for sale. Housing blocks will start to rise in 2007
and 2008. Ørestad is expected finished within the next
10 to 15 years. Among the many building projects, all
having a view over Kalvebod Fælled, will be:
A big block around the central square of Ørestad
Syd. JM Danmark will build 180 dwellings drawn by
3xNielsen. Samvirkende Boligselskaber and KAB will build
75 council flats drawn by Domus Arkitekter A/S.
Essex Park Ørestad, which will have 175 owner-occupied flats and 80 tenancies designed by, among others,
Vandkunsten and Arkitema. This block will also house
shops and cafés.
Fri Kvarteret, which will be built by Kuben and AREEA.
There will be about 300 dwellings with roof landscapes
and atrium gardens designed to become active parts of the
flats. The block plan for Fri Kvarteret has been made by
an international architect team counting Entasis (Copenhagen), Wingårdh (Gothenburg), Jensen & Skodvin (Oslo)
and Vogt (Zurich).
Lake City, built be Arkitekt-Gruppen, having both
owner-occupied flats and tenancies. The buildings consist
of both blocks, dense-low building and a kindergarden,
communal rooms, and a mini marina with lake access. The
drawing office Vandkunsten made the master plan for the
complex.
Model of BIG HOUSE, designed by the young drawing office BIG. With a playful and mischievous architecture, BIG HOUSE offers a quite
different and unexpected interpretation of the block structure of Ørestad Syd: a mountain village as a provocation in the classic city, or a new,
modern interpretation of the cheap building style in the last decades.
BIG HOUSE. The consortium Frederikssund Holding A/S,
Dansk Oliekompagni and Høpfner A/S are behind this
building. There will be commercial activities, a day care
centre and about 580 flats. Bjarke Ingels Group are the
architects. There will be terrace houses, flats and penthouses. The project was inspired by traditional Danish cooperative building and functionalist architecture, as well
as by Me-diterranean and conventional Danish architecture. When completed, BIG HOUSE will be the largest
residential buildings in Ørestad.
Holistic House, a culture house for body and soul.
Modelled on the Icelandic concept, The Blue Lagoon in
Reykjavik, a wellness centre will be built in Ørestad Syd.
It will be a combination of a health centre and a recreational hotel.
Stævnen. The client is Sjælsø Gruppen A/S, who will
build a 165-flat residential project. To the east and the
south the buildings will border directly on a coming lake
area. To the west the complex will be demarcated by a wide
canal street. The flats are designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen’s
drawing office. The first stone was laid at the beginning
of June.
Hannemanns Allé
The Sjælsø Gruppen project Copenhagen Towers and the
NCC buildings designed by Norwegian architect Nils Torp
constitute, together with the southern part of Nordkranen,
the large urban space along Hannemanns Allé. Nils Torp´s
project consists of low buildings varying much in form on
streets binding small, intimate urban places to a whole.
Close to the low buildings two sculpturally formed tower
blocks will rise.
In the southern part of Nordkranen a number of different
architects work on a variation of dwellings and commercial
buildings. Force4 and 3xNielsen design terrace houses,
the Dutch architects MVRDV and HST Arkitekter designed
flats with special balconies, Hvidt & Mølgaard concentrates on the theme living rooms and outdoor rooms, and
Jan Søndergaard from KHRAS offers his bid for a renewal
of the modern flat. As to urban space and landscape,
Hannemanns Allé itself will be worked on by landscape
architect Lisbeth Westergaard.
EUROPAN
One of the blocks in Ørestad Syd is at the disposal of the
European EUROPAN project. Young architects, i.e. under
the age of 40, from all over Europe were invited to participate in a competition about new architecture in a new
framework.
The competition took place in all EU countries, and as
many as 69 interested groups announced their participation. Organizing the project took place in cooperation with
the Ministry of Culture and the City of Copenhagen. Winners were found in the autumn of 2007.
Copenhagen Towers
Sjælsø Gruppen A/S is behind one of the most conspicuous
projects in Ørestad at all, namely Copenhagen Towers,
which will be erected in Ørestad Syd.
49
In March 2006 Sjælsø Gruppen A/S bought 129,000
floor sqm building rights for a commercial complex south
of the Øresund motorway in Ørestad. Since the contract
was made, Sjælsø Gruppen A/S and the Ørestad Development Corporation worked on architecture and concept of
the project.
It is the world famous English architect firm, Foster +
Partners, in cooperation with the Danish architect firm,
DISSING+WEITLING, that stand behind devising the
master plan and projecting the first phases. Among other
buildings, the project, which will face the Øresund motorway, will consist of three 80-metre tower blocks. In addi-
50
tion to office facilities for big and small companies, the
complex will house a hotel with 250 rooms, 130 hotel flats,
meeting facilities and cafés, fitness centres and a series
of shops.
In the same area SEB Pension and the engineering and
consulting firm Rambøll agreed on a big joint office building project. Rambøll will be the primary tenant with about
1,000 employees.
Together with Sir Norman Foster, the great English architect, the
Danish architect firm Dissing+Weitling designed a convincing
composition of elegant tower blocks, Copenhagen Towers, in the
centre of Ørestad City.
Photo credits
Frontpage: Ole Malling, Mikal Schlosser, Lene Skytthe, René Strandbygaard,
Ole Ziegler, Lundgaard & Tranberg, Eyecadcher.
Page 7: Jan Kofod Winther
Page 10: Mogens Bech
Page 11: Jan Kofod Winther
Page 12: Mogens Bech
Page 13:
Dennis Rosenfeldt
Page 14: Dennis Rosenfeldt
Page 15: Dennis Rosenfeldt, Jan Kofod Winther
Page 16: COWI (midten)
Page 17: Dennis Rosenfeldt, Jan Kofod Winther
Page 18: Dennis Rosenfeldt
Page 19: Eyecadcher
Page 20: Jan Kofod Winther
Page 21: Jan Kofod Winther
Page 22:
Eyecadcher
Page 23: Future Systems
Page 24: Scanpix/Torben Christensen
Page 25: Dennis Rosenfeldt, Eyecadcher
Page 26: Jan Kofod Winther
Page 27: Plot/West 8
Page 28: Jan Kofod Winther
Page 29: Jan Kofod Winther
Page 31: Julie Dufour Wiese
Page 33: Lene Skytthe
Page 34: Lene Skytthe, Teit Hornbak
Page 35: Lene Skytthe, Mikal Schlosser
Page 37: Lene Skytthe
Page 38: Lene Skytthe
Page 39: Mikal Schlosser, René Strandbygaard
Page 40: Lene Skytthe, DR Byen
Page 41: Søren Hytting
Page 42: Rene Strandbygaard, Lene Skytthe
Page 43: Lene Skytthe, BIG
Page 44: Lene Skytthe, Studio Daniel Liebeskind
Page 45: Ole Ziegler
Page 46: Lene Skytthe, Mikal Schlosser
Page 47: tre.d
Page 49: BIG
Page 50:
Eyecadcher
ISBN: 978-87-92302-02-1
Status, urban development
Copyright: The Port & City Development Corporation
Text: Mads Christiansen
Graphic design: Lars Green
Text and photo editing: Mads Christiansen
Last revision: 2007
The Port & City Development Corporation I/S
7 Nordre Toldbod
PO Box 2083
DK-1013 Copenhagen K
Tel: (+45) 3376 9800
www.arealudvikling.dk