Henning Larsen architects enrich Copenhagen with one of the largest wood projects in Scandinavia

Danish architectural practice Henning Larsen and engineering company Rambøll have designed the upcoming multiuser office building for the Danish pension fund, AP Pension. The eight-storied building has been given the name Marmormolen and will measure 28,000-square meters and will be built on the Nordhavn waterfront on the eastern edge of Copenhagen.

The building is designed to fit perfectly into the site’s surroundings, rising to its full eight stories towards a busy street and train tracks and steps down to three stories towards the neighbouring housing on the opposite side. Even though the building consists of one volume, it is divided into a collection of rectangular cubes that differ in height and will each have access to a rooftop terrace and gardens.

The construction will be built entirely using solid timber as opposed to using concrete as this is seen to be a great sustainable alternative. This will make the building "embed tons of carbon instead of emitting tons," the studio says. Sustainability and sustainable strategies are, therefore, key factors in the upcoming multiuser office building as the structure of the building will be entirely made of wood.

The project will bring yet another sustainable project to the district of Nordhavn, which is one of the largest wood projects with a focus on sustainability in Scandinavia.

The mixed-use building will house offices, retail spaces, shops, and restaurants on the popular Nordhavn waterfront and will feature many urban spaces including green plazas, promenades on three sides of the building, and green rooftop terraces and gardens with great biodiversity, beehives, butterfly hotels and vegetable production for the canteen.

The ground floor of the building is planned as an extension of the nearby public waterfront, highly used during the summer period by many Copenhageners, merging existing public amenities with a landscaped park and a large public marketplace. A canteen and auditorium will also be located on the ground floor and will operate as both a public eatery and events space for markets and theatres for the public to enjoy.

“With Marmormolen, we want to create more than a great office building, we also want it to give something back to the city and makes the building come alive – even outside office hours,” says Mikkel Eskildsen, Associate Design Director and Lead Design Architect on the project. 

With a transparent, open, and inviting ground floor, Marmormolen will become an architectural masterpiece, setting a sustainable environment for a vibrant marketplace in the hub of design and architecture that is Nordhavn. 

Read more on the Marmormolen project here. 

At the start of the new millennium, Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district was still a primarily industrial neighbourhood – a far cry from the waterfront neighbourhood it is today. In the years since, steady growth with an eye on innovation has helped the waterfront area become a hotspot for super-sustainable and impressive architecture, design studios and new gastronomy, of which these are just a selection of the most interesting experiences for travellers when visiting the Nordhavn district:

Where to eat:

• Hija de Sanchez is the newest addition to the Sanchez family and offers some of the city’s best Mexican tacos.
• Enjoy good food, architecture and one of the best views in town at The Silo.
• Sushi Anaba creates an authentic, Japanese experience inviting you to taste one of the purest forms of sushi: the traditional edomae.

What to experience:

• Paustian - Experience the best in Danish and international design in world-renowned architectural settings by the famous Danish architect Jørn Utzon. 
• Shop sophisticated and classic Danish design at Menu Space. 
• Konditaget Lüders, a one-of-a-kind activity park 24 meters above the ground in Nordhavn. It is the perfect place to get fit or just play and watch the sunset on a rooftop gym. 
• Take a dip in some of the cleanest harbour water in the world at Sandkaj bathing zone. 

Where to stay:

• THEKRANE - A former coal crane turned into an intimate one-room hotel with stunning views, minimalistic Danish design, and a multitude of luxurious features. 
• Decorated with Danish sustainable design, Comwell Copenhagen Portside is a modern hotel with sustainability in mind.
• Audo House - It is a hybrid space with a design showroom, hotel residence, shop, café and restaurant created by Audo Copenhagen. Beauty, quality and creativity are ubiquitous at the hotel.