Fjordenhus stands in the water alongside Havneøen (The Harbour Island), a man-made island that was developed in response to a concept by Vejle Municipality to revitalise the harbour area, introducing important new residential components into a traditionally industrial environment. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
When you approach Fjordenhus from Vejle’s main urban axis, the building appears as the focal point, surrounded by water and with the Vejle Fjord Bridge in the background. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Vejle Fjord in Jutland stretches east from its head at the city of Vejle to its mouth at the Kattegat Sea. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Set against the backdrop of the fjord and the Vejle Fjord Bridge, the building itself breaks the smooth plane of the water.
The concrete and cobblestone surfaces of the expansive plaza are echoed in the design of Günther Vogt’s jetty, while the cylindrical forms and distinctive brickwork of Fjordenhus nod to the historical harbour typologies of warehouses and silos. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
The importance of the fjord and harbour for Vejle inspired us to place the building directly in the water.
The double-curved, 3D-formed windows follow precisely the geometry of the building. Steel frames span several floors of the building, while the window voids form the main element of the facade. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Our intention was to design a building in close dialogue with its environment.
The still-active industrial harbour in particular, with its noise and dirt, demanded a robust design for the headquarters.
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
The movement of the waves, the reflection of the sun, the wind, and the sounds from the active harbour form a unique experience for the visitor.
The classic Danish brick is the predominant material of the building’s inner and outer walls. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
The brick forms the smallest possible building unit and follows the organic shape of the building. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
We wanted this intricate brickwork to shape visitors’ impression of the building as they approach. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
From afar, the building’s surface seems orderly, but upon closer inspection, the different shapes and slightly irregular staggering of the bricks’ depth reveals a lively, organic surface. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Each corner, niche, and arc required an individual brick-laying solution. Each brick was specially fit into the complex curvature of the concrete walls, the overall brickwork lying flush with the curved steel frames and glass elements of the facade. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
We incorporated fifteen different tones of unglazed brick into the brickwork.
Additional colours of glazed bricks have been integrated into the carved-out sections to produce colour fades – green from the bottom and blue from the top – that reflect the water and sky.
The bricks function not only aesthetically, but also technically: we placed hollow ventilation bricks throughout the walls to modulate both sound and temperature.
In the stairwell, scattered silver bricks reflect the sunlight shining in from above. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
To add to the experience of its setting – the environment, the water, and the fjord – we have dedicated the ground floor to the public.
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
The grid pattern of cut-out negative circular volumes in the ceiling reduces the overall weight of the ceiling. These hollows also serve to hold light fixtures and modulate the acoustics of the space. The floors and ceilings of Fjordenhus are formed by white concrete slabs, creating spaces 3.20 metres in height on each level. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Fjordenhus, The Artworks
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Fjordenhus, The Furniture
The office spaces on the building’s first, second, and third floors feature several custom-made furniture pieces designed by Olafur Eliasson and Studio Olafur Eliasson. Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Wood was introduced as the dominant material for the additional built-in cabinets in bathrooms, kitchens, and staircases in the private spaces.
Cirkelbroen
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Tvilum Landinspektørfirma A/S
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Photo: Anders Sune Berg
Facades of Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre
