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
| Sep 16, 2014
Competition asks architects, designers to reimagine the future of national parks
National Parks Now asks entrants to propose all types of interventions for parks, including interactive installations, site-specific education and leisure opportunities, outreach and engagement campaigns, and self-led tours.
| Sep 15, 2014
Sustainability rating systems: Are they doomed?
None of the hundreds of existing green building rating systems is perfect. Some of them are too documentation-heavy. Some increase short-term project cost. Some aren’t rigorous enough or include contentious issues, writes HDR's Michaella Wittmann.
| Sep 15, 2014
Ranked: Top international AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of U.S.-based design and construction firms with the most revenue from international projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 15, 2014
Argentina reveals plans for Latin America’s tallest structure
Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announces the winning design by MRA+A Álvarez | Bernabó | Sabatini for the capital's new miexed use tower.
| Sep 15, 2014
Perkins+Will unveils design for Ghana's largest hospital
The new hospital will be home to numerous hospital services including public health, accident and emergency, imaging, obstetrics, gynecology, dental, surgical, intensive care and administration.
| Sep 15, 2014
Gen-Y-focused multifamily development under way in L.A.
The new urban residential community at 1001 S. Olive Street will offer open floor plans consisting of 64 studios, 109 one bedroom units, and 28 two-bedroom units, ranging in size from approximately 500 sq ft to 1,100 sq ft.
| Sep 14, 2014
Ranked: Top Veterans Administration sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
CannonDesign, Clark Group, and URS top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest Veterans Administration building sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
Sponsored | | Sep 13, 2014
5 common questions leaders should never ask
Asking the right questions can help business leaders to anticipate changes, seize opportunities and move their firms in new directions. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Sep 13, 2014
Why CEOs shouldn’t be afraid to ask for outside help
An oven-overlooked factor in assessing the success of a leader, according to organizational development consultant Brook Manville, is his or her ability to go far outside the organization to get help in solving problems. SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored | | Sep 13, 2014
Right Way Plumbing finishes first at Max Planck Florida Institute
The Max Planck Florida Institute consists of a three-story, 100,000-sf scientific research facility with 30,000 feet of copper joined with Viega ProPress fittings.