A vibrant, sustainable office building rises in Nordhavn

2023, a state-of-the-art office building is scheduled to open its doors in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn. By connecting the two parts of the building with an eye-catching, 23-meter walkway, PLH Architects has created a single building that will stand as an iconic gateway to the new district of Marmormolen.

The building of approx. 13,000 m2 will be able to welcome 560 employees across six floors filled with open, flexible offices and common areas. On the ground floor, large glass sections create a transparent and welcoming main entrance that provides access to an exclusive reception and lounge area, as well as shop leases. On the other floors, the bright and airy floor plan ensures that every employee has a view of the water, the docks and the surrounding harbor environment. The canteen, meeting center and rooftop terraces are all located at the top of the building, linked together by the building’s architectural focal point, a unique walkway linking the eastern and western parts.

“In addition to being a prominent hallmark of the building, the walkway also gives employees quick access to offices and common areas. In this way, the sum of the project will be greater than its individual parts – and that allows for facilities it would not be possible to offer, if the two buildings were separate,” explains Søren Mølbak, partner at PLH Architects.

Quality, sustainability and employee satisfaction

Beneath the walkway, an intimate public plaza forms a corridor from the street to the harbor and serves as a recreational area. Combined with the irregular angles of the facade, the varying window sizes and the specially designed relief tiles, this creates a dynamic overall expression that strengthens the building’s position as a significant gateway to this new development area that also includes residential buildings, the UN City and DFDS’ new headquarters – also designed by PLH Arkitekter.

"We are incredibly proud to be part of this project, where values such as quality, sustainability and employee satisfaction are paramount. Everywhere, we have thought about green solutions, about minimizing energy consumption and about creating facilities that support an active lifestyle for the building’s users. For employees, visitors and Copenhageners in general, this house will give you a beautiful welcome to the harbor and the new district of Marmormolen,” Søren Mølbak says.

Pension Danmark is the developer, NCC the contractor and Ramboll the engineers on this PLH-designed project. Upon completion in 2023, the building is expected to achieve the sustainability certification DGNB Gold.