Denmark Archives

Concrete grid defines Svendborg International Maritime Academy

Danish studios EFFEKT and CF Møller Architects have completed the Svendborg International Maritime Academy in Denmark, using an exposed concrete frame to echo its industrial surrounds.

Overlooking the harbour in the North Quay of the former port city Svendborg, the 12,500-square-metre centre unites several previously separate departments of Svendborg International Maritime Academy (SIMAC), providing combined study spaces for 1,000 students.

Front elevation view of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects — EFFEKT and CF Møller Architects have created a building for Svendborg International Maritime Academy

EFFEKT and CF Møller Architects designed a “resilient grid” for the building formed of prefabricated concrete elements, which nods to the surrounding architecture and is divided with glass partitions to create teaching spaces that can be easily modified or adapted in future.

“We set out with the desire to create an extremely raw and transparent grid structure, contextually adapted to its industrious setting while capable of staging the school’s workshop-based content,” explained CF Møller Architects partner Mads Mandrup.

Facade dusk view of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects — It is characterised by an exposed concrete grid

“[It is] a scaffolding of spatial possibilities, centred around encouraging young people to encounter and exchange ideas through informal meetings, both within and out towards its surroundings, activating the whole harbour front of Svendborg,” Mandrup added.

SIMAC’s teaching spaces are organised across five storeys around a central 20-metre-high atrium. Lined with balconies, this atrium visually connects each level to a communal seating area on the ground floor.

Internal frame of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects — Five storeys of educational facilities surround a 20-metre-high atrium

Double-height spaces house specialist workshops alongside conventional offices and classrooms, with the glass partitions intended to “stimulate communication and informal exchange” between areas, said the studios.

On the roof is a communal terrace for students and staff, providing both internal and external spaces with expansive views out across the harbour framed by the hollow concrete grid.

Taking cues from the raw concrete structure, interior finishes have been kept minimal and unfinished, with exposed ducting and steel balustrades. Social areas are visually softened by wooden details, including an area of tiered seating.

On the building’s exterior, panels of glazing and corrugated metal have been pulled back to express the concrete structure. In each corner, the grid is cut away to create sheltered external areas for the cafe and canteen, which are open to the public.

Stairs and frame of concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects — An area of tiered communal seating is among those with wooden detailing

“You see the same raw, minimalist exposed column-girder structure both from the outside and the inside,” said EFFEKT co-founder Sinus Lynge.

“The space essentially flows through the building’s structure, and the intriguing aspect concerning the concrete elements is that SIMAC’s structure is the architecture,” he added.

Education space in concrete maritime academy in Denmark by EFFEKT and CF Moller Architects — Exposed ducting contributes to the raw interior aesthetic

SIMAC is the first project to be completed as part of a wider masterplan for a new district in Svendborg, which is set to transform 5.5 hectares of industrial area with new education, business and residential buildings.

Elsewhere, EFFEKT also recently completed Denmark’s first treetop walkway at the Hamaren Activity Park in Fyresdal and CF Møller Architects created the headquarters for Lego in Billund with a bright yellow atrium.

The photography is by Rasmus Hjortshøj.

Reference

Interior Design

Bentley curates Scandinavian architecture and design travel experience

By Zarkon Group,14/12/2023

Promotion: in 2023 Bentley Motors launched an architecture and design-centred travel experience around Scandinavia, with highlights that included a stay at Wingårdhs’ forest hotel in Sweden and a tour of BIG’s studio in Copenhagen.

The Extraordinary Journey Scandinavia tour was one of a series of curated travel experiences presented by Bentley in 2023, offering the opportunity to explore attractive destinations from behind the wheel of its luxury cars.

The five-day, four-night tour started in Stockholm, where guests were collected from the airport in a chauffeured Bentley and taken to their first night’s stay in the world-renowned Ett Hem hotel.

Photograph of a sitting room at the Ett Hem hotel in Stockholm — The first night’s stay was at Stockholm’s Ett Hem hotel

With interiors created by designer Ilse Crawford, the hotel is known for merging luxury with a feeling of home, with spaces that encourage guests to relax and mingle as if at a manor house.

The hotel hosted a welcome reception, dinner in the library and a nightcap for the small party of guests on day one to get to know each other.

On day two, attendees took the wheel of one of several Bentley models on offer and began the journey south through Sweden’s forests, with Scandinavia’s finest architecture and design destinations guiding the way forward.

For lunch on day two, attendees stopped at Naturehouse

For lunch, the tour stopped at Naturehouse, a sustainability-focused lakeside spa by Tailor Made Arkitekter that merges the forms of a barn and a greenhouse, before continuing to reach the Trakt Forest Hotel in Småland in the afternoon.

Designed by Wingårdh architecture studio, the hotel features just five suites that are raised high into the treetops on stilts, giving guests the chance to feel immersed in nature.

The suites are “a true representation of Bentley’s design values of sustainability, materiality, and innovation” said the brand, and guests had the opportunity to relax in the sauna or hot tub before joining the hotel owners Sandra and Mattias Sälleteg at a drinks reception.

The evening also included dinner in a forest near the hotel, which was made by Michelin star chef Niklas Ekstedt and celebrated natural ingredients coming together “to create something greater than the sum of its parts”.

Photo of Wanås Hotel and Sculpture Park — Lunch on day three took place at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture Park

Day three saw the group continue the drive south through Sweden’s forests and stop for lunch at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture Park, built around two converted stone barns with interiors by Kristina Wachtmeister.

They then drove on through Malmö and across the Öresund Bridge, the longest bridge in Europe, connecting Sweden and Denmark, before switching to chauffeured transport once again for the final stretch of the journey to Copenhagen.

With accommodation at the Nimb Hotel in Tivoli Gardens, guests had ample opportunity to explore Copenhagen, including dinner at a world-renowned Nordic restaurant and then a city tour hosted by the Danish Architecture Centre.

Photo of a big group of people having lunch and sharing a toast at BIG's studio — Day four included a tour and lunch at Bjarke Ingels Group’s studio

There was also a tour of Bjarke Ingels Group’s studio, hosted by a member of the team who gave insights into their creative practice. Lunch was also held within “the beating heart” of the office.

Bentley‘s Extraordinary Journey continues in the UK in 2024 with a programme where attendees will experience a scenic route starting at Crewe, the home of Bentley Motors, to The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland. The UK programme runs from 19 to 22 August and 2 to 5 September.

For more information and to register interest, visit the Bentley website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Bentley as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Reference

Architecture

Henning Larsen uses natural materials at Feldballe School in Denmark

By Zarkon Group,11/03/2023

Straw, eelgrass and wood feature in this bio-based extension that Danish architecture studio Henning Larsen has added to Feldballe School in Denmark.

The angular timber-clad extension, which contains science classrooms, is intended to demonstrate the potential of natural materials in architecture.

It was designed by Henning Larsen with the aim of having the carbon sequestered in the construction materials help to offset the building’s lifetime emissions.

Aerial view of Feldballe School in Denmark — Henning Larsen has extended the Feldballe School in Denmark

“At the core of this project is investment in education,” lead architect Magnus Reffs Kramhøft told Dezeen.

“We wanted to show the school pupils that there is a better way to build, that it’s possible to design a non-toxic building.”

The locally sourced biomaterials used in the project were chosen for their ability to sequester, or store, carbon from the atmosphere.

Aerial view of Feldballe School extension by Henning Larsen Architects — It has an angular form

“These materials are viable alternatives to concrete, brick and steel, and crucially, materials that sequester rather than emit carbon dioxide, are totally free of toxic chemicals, fire-safe, and offer both efficient insulation and a great indoor climate,” said the studio.

Among them is a wall panel system made of compressed straw in wooden cassettes, along with a timber roof.

Timber-clad school building — The building makes use of bio-based materials

Inside, untreated plywood is used for built-in furniture and is also left exposed on the walls.

The classrooms, which sit under pitched roofs, feature timber beams and straw-panel ceilings that are left visible throughout too, helping to help create a warm atmosphere.

Wood-lined facade of Henning Larsen-designed building — Timber lines its exterior

Solar panels on the roof of the building generate electricity to help power it, while its interiors are naturally ventilated.

This natural ventilation system is aided by eelgrass, a type of fast-growing seaweed, which is used in the form of filters that pull in air through the facade.

Wood-lined building with solar panels on the roof — Solar panels provide electricity for the building

“The natural materials lend the extension a warm, welcoming expression, and because there is no need for large ventilation ducts or suspended ceilings, the rooms are spacious and high-ceilinged,” said Henning Larsen.

“The permeable characteristics of straw allow humidity to escape, and the interior walls consist of clay plaster, supporting its diffusion qualities.”

According to Henning Larsen, the building’s carbon footprint will equate to six kilograms of carbon dioxide per square metre every year, over a lifespan of 50 years.

This surpasses Danish standards, which currently require all construction projects to keep below 12 kilograms of carbon dioxide per square metre every year.

Interior of Feldballe School extension by Henning Larsen Architects — It contains science classrooms inside

“These targets refer to a project’s entire footprint from operational emissions to those associated with the manufacturing of materials and their installation,” said the studio.

“For reference, the European average amounts to between 500 to 1,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide per square metre.”

Classroom interior with wooden walls — Plywood is used on the walls and for furniture

Henning Larsen also said that the extension has the potential to be easily disassembled and reused or recycled in the future.

“The true measure of the project’s impact lies in what it will offer to the many children of Feldballe School as well as the local community through the years,” concluded Kramhøft. “So far, the choice of materials has proven conducive to a healthy and pleasant learning environment for students and teachers.”

Based in Copenhagen, Henning Larsen is an architecture studio founded by the Danish architect Henning Larsen in 1959. It was awarded the European Prize for Architecture in 2019.

The studio also recently completed a mass-timber centre for car manufacturer Volvo and a timber church with trapezoidal roofs in Copenhagen.

Bio-based extension by Henning Larsen Architects — Straw panels cover the ceilings

The studio hopes that its use of bio-based materials will encourage their uptake in the industry and lead to more efforts to reduce carbon emissions in construction.

“We know that we cannot wait for policymakers to push the green agenda, we must face the weight of our design decisions headfirst, altering our practices, bettering ourselves, and pushing our industry,” concluded the studio’s director of innovation Jakob Strømann-Andersen.

The photography is by Rasmus Hjortshøj.

Reference

Interior Design

Designmuseum Denmark exhibition questions future of design

By Zarkon Group,28/02/2023

Designmuseum Denmark has looked at how design can shape the future through its The Future is Present exhibition, which features projects including a tubular chandelier made from cow intestines.

Presented at Copenhagen’s recently renovated Designmuseum, the exhibition showcases a range of “speculative and suggestive” works that examine four themes titled Human, Society, Planet+ and Imagining the Future.

Mycelium and hemp chair on display at Designmuseum Denmark — The MYX Chair is a mycelium and hemp chair that has “grown” itself

“Design is very much a forward-looking profession,” said exhibition curator Pernille Stockmarr. “It’s about changing the existing into something better – and what we do in the present creates the future.”

“Living in a time with major global challenges, this exhibition wants to invite people to see and reflect on the different potentials of design in this transformation and encourage them to think about what kind of future we want,” she told Dezeen.

Close up of a tubular lamp made from cow intenstines — 100 metres of cow intestines were used to make the Inside Out chandelier

Among the pieces on show is Inside Out, a chandelier-style lamp made from 100 metres of knotted cow intestines extracted from eight cows. Designer Kathrine Barbro Bendixen aimed to explore how byproducts can be used to rethink patterns of material consumption.

Faroe Islands-based fashion brand Guðrun & Guðrun created Vindur, a ruffled dress with exaggerated bell sleeves made of woven silk and machine-knitted milk yarn sourced from dairy production waste.

The brand worked with textile designers Amalie Ege and Charlotte Christensen and Lifestyle & Design Clusters to create the garment, which was made using a “traditional technique used during the inter-war period when resources were in short supply and waste was transformed into value,” according to the Designmuseum.

Ruffled dress made from dairy waste with bell sleeves on display at Designmuseum Denmark — A group of designers created a dress made from dairy waste

More conceptual works include Beyond Life, a collection of biodegradable paper foam urns by designer Pia Galschiødt Bentzen with detachable pendants containing seeds that can be grown.

“Beyond Life unites death, loss, and remembrance with the awareness that we humans are part of nature’s endless circle of life,” said Stockmarr.

Also on show is Library of Change, a “map” of dangling acrylic foil cards charting current trends and technologies, inscribed with questions for visitors such as “would you leave the city for better connection?”

Biodegradable paper foam urns in blue and white at the Designmuseum in Demark — Beyond Life is a collection of biodegradable paper foam urns

Stockmarr explained that the exhibition aims to communicate “the breadth of design” by including works that vary in scale, purpose and medium.

“Their ability to inspire, start conversations and make visitors reflect was a priority,” she said.

“I didn’t want the works to be too-defined solutions for the future, extreme sci-fi visions, utopias or dystopias, but exploratory works. Some are collaborative research projects and others provide foresight into design methods, handicrafts and creative experiments.”

Acrylic foil cards featuring questions about the future — Library of Change is a project that encourages visitors to question the future of design

Alongside the various projects in the exhibition, artefacts from the Designmuseum’s own archive that highlight past ideas for the future are also on display.

One of these designs is the three-wheeled vehicle Ellert, Denmark’s first electric car developed in the 1980s by engineer Steen Volmer Jensen.

Three-wheeled electric car called Ellert on display at Designmuseum Demark — Ellert was Denmark’s first electric car

Local studio Spacon & X created the exhibition design for The Future is Present with the aim of reflecting its themes.

The studio delineated the show’s various zones using modular bioplastic dividers that snake through the exhibition space and worked with natural materials including eelgrass, which was used to create acoustic mats to manage noise in the museum.

Objects are arranged on custom tables and plinths made in collaboration with sustainable material manufacturer Søuld, while Natural Material Studio created a mycelium daybed for the show.

Stockmarr explained that the show is meant to be a call to action and empower people to reflect on their individual roles in determining the future of design.

“By asking more questions than giving answers the exhibition wants to inspire visitors,” reflected the curator.

“The show acknowledges that it is not only designers, architects, craftspeople and experts, but all of us who are participating in shaping and designing the future by the questions we ask and the choices and actions we take today.”

Hanging objects within the Designmuseum Denmark, arranged by Spacon & X — The Future is Present was designed by Spacon & X to be an immersive experience

Similar recent exhibitions that explored the climate impact of materials include a show at Stockholm Furniture Fair that visualised the carbon emissions of common materials such as concrete and The Waste Age – a London exhibition that addressed how design has contributed to the rise of throwaway culture.

The Future is Present is on display at Designmuseum Denmark from 19 June 2022 to 1 June 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Reference

Sustainable News

Global innovation spotlight: Denmark – Springwise

By Zarkon Group,11/09/2022

Global innovation spotlight: Denmark

Global Innovation Spotlight

Reflecting our global Springwise readership, we explore the innovation landscape and freshest thinking from a new country each week. This week we are heading to Denmark…

Denmark Innovation Facts

Global Innovation Index ranking: 9th

Climate targets: Reduce emissions by 70 per cent in 2030 compared to 1990, carbon neutrality by 2050

Sustainability issues

Agricultural emissions – In a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario, Denmark’s agricultural sector will account for 15 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. In response, the government has set ambitious emission reduction targets for the sector, and has earmarked €150 million to advance plant-based foods.

Greenwashing – Denmark is a sustainability leader, and 79 per cent of Danish people think that climate change is humanity’s biggest challenge. These green values have led companies to increasingly add environmental claims to their advertising. This has led to fears of greenwashing and plans for tighter regulation of green marketing.

Air pollution – Denmark scores comparatively well for air pollution compared to the majority of countries, yet air quality is nonetheless an issue. The country’s average air quality is 1.9 times the annual level set by the World Health Organization and approximately 6,000 Danes die from air pollution each year.

Sector specialisms

Hardware and IoT
Energy and environment
Ecommerce and retail

Source: StartupBlink

Three exciting innovations from Denmark

USING COMPUTER VISION TO MONITOR HOSPITAL WARDS

In countries such as the UK, health and social care workforce shortages are reaching crisis proportions. Each day brings a new report of staff shortages and their implications for patient care. While it can’t replace staff, a Danish health tech startup is developing technology to ensure staff are being deployed as efficiently as possible. The company, Teton.ai, has developed a system that uses computer vision to track patient movements and alert staff when patients are at risk of falling or need other types of assistance. Read more

EMPOWERING ALL COMPANIES TO PROCURE GREEN ENERGY

In this time of energy price rises, many businesses are finding their energy bills rocketing. Now, climate tech startup Reel is working to change the way businesses procure electricity by offering a way for companies to buy green electricity on commercially attractive terms. Reel’s solution is based on a type of renewable energy contract called a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Usually the preserve of large companies, Reel is making PPAs available to smaller businesses. Read more

CREATE-YOUR-OWN SOAP BRAND USES ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS AND MINIMAL PACKAGING

Created to reduce waste in the cosmetics industry, CustomiseMe soap uses all organic ingredients in its made-to-order production. The company reduces waste by producing orders individually by hand and by using recycled and recyclable materials in its shipping packaging. Soaps are made using the cold press technique which involves a four-week curing process. Read more

Words: Matthew Hempstead

To keep up with the latest innovations, sign up to our free newsletters or email info@springwise.com to get in touch.

8th September 2022

Reference

Denmark

Concrete grid defines Svendborg International Maritime Academy

Bentley curates Scandinavian architecture and design travel experience

Henning Larsen uses natural materials at Feldballe School in Denmark

Designmuseum Denmark exhibition questions future of design

Global innovation spotlight: Denmark – Springwise

Global innovation spotlight: Denmark

Denmark Innovation Facts

Three exciting innovations from Denmark

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