A 200-foot-tall, 17-story industrial silo in Copenhagen’s Nordhavnen harbor is the largest and one of the most iconic landmarks of the area, but its function doesn’t match the needs of the district.
In 2013, By og Havn, a port development enterprise jointly owned by the city of Copenhagen and the Danish government, took the lead to transform Nordhavnen into a bustling, commercial area planned to bring tens of thousands of apartments and jobs.
Part of the transformation would involve the iconic silo’s conversion into a residential tower. Danish firm COBE Architects was brought in to execute the project, according to a report by Inhabitat.
To soften the industrial and highly utilitarian design of the original structure—which was used to store corn and grains for decades—COBE will envelope the original concrete structure with layers of different-sized white balconies.
The building’s interior will preserve the mostly exposed concrete of the original structure.
The silo as it exists today. Photo courtesy COBE Architects
Rendering of the planned conversion. Rendering courtesy COBE Architects
Because of the building’s original function and demand for different-sized spaces for storage, the new residential building will feature a variety of apartment configurations and sizes.
The waterfront development includes a United Nations campus called UN City that opened in 2013 at the eastern part of the Nordhavnen area.
According to Danish engineering website Ingeniøren, the Nordhavnen project uses 28,000 tons of steel, making it the largest construction job in Denmark and the largest consumer of steel in Northern Europe.
For more information and renderings, checkout the slideshow at cobe.dk.
Related Stories
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 25, 2018
Virginia Beach: A surf town with a wave problem no more
A world-class surf park will highlight Virginia Beach’s new live-work-play development.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 24, 2018
Apartment rent rates jump 2.5% in 2017, led by small and mid-sized markets
The average price for one-bedroom units increased the most.
Architects | Jan 24, 2018
Danish design firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects joins Perkins+Will
Partnership expands Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s capacity for international growth; complements Perkins+Will’s design philosophy and strengthens the firm’s cultural practice.
Hotel Facilities | Jan 24, 2018
U.S. hotel markets with the largest construction pipelines
Dallas, Houston, and New York lead the way, with more than 460 hotel projects in the works.
Architects | Jan 24, 2018
Strong finish for architecture billings in 2017
The Architecture Billings Index concluded the year in positive terrain, with the December reading capping off three straight months of growth in design billings.
Architects | Jan 19, 2018
CTBUH announces global finalist projects for annual awards program
The Lotte World Tower, in Seoul, and 150 N. Riverside, in Chicago, are among the finalists.
Architects | Jan 10, 2018
NELSON and FRCH Design Worldwide are merging
Their chief executives will manage the company jointly, by region.
Architects | Jan 10, 2018
7 steps to ending a low growth cycle
Here are the top 10 marketing techniques as rated by high-growth firms and how they compare to their no-growth counterparts.
Architects | Jan 8, 2018
ZGF Founding Partner Robert Frasca, 84, passes away
Frasca was a driving force in transforming the architectural firm from its early beginnings as a regional office into one of the nation’s largest practices, with 600 design professionals across six offices in the U.S. and Canada.