A welcoming beacon before a shining expanse of sea, Steven Holl Architects‘ LM project will update Copenhagen’s waterfront with two eye-catching photovoltaic-sheathed skyscrapers and a sky bridge studded with wind turbines. The iconic development recently took first place in a competition to design a new gateway for Copenhagen, and it was approved in a unanimous vote by the jury.
Holl Architects‘ winning entry is defined by a number of pairs: two towers, with two bridges, oriented in two directions that connect the city with the site’s history. The Langenlinine tower takes its geometry from the site’s old harbor, while the Marmormolen tower forms a connection with the city via an expansive main terrace and a public auditorium. The project also boasts a stunning public walkway that rises 65 meters over the harbor, securing the development’s status as an iconic new addition to Copenhagen’s waterfront.
The LM Project’s sustainable solutions are just as exceptional as its aesthetic merits. Both skyscrapers incorporate glass curtain walls shaded by a photovoltaic-laden solar screens. The buildings also feature seawater heating and cooling systems, radiant floor heating, and excellent natural light thanks to the reflective light performance of the solar screens. A true blessing in tall office buildings, each of the towers’ floors also contain operable windows that allow for natural ventilation. Finally, the pedestrian bridge is lined with enough wind turbines to light all of the the buildings’ public spaces.
The administrative director of the development company City/Harbor and Copenhagen’s previous lord mayor Jens Kramer Mikkelsen stated that “The project combines the esthetical, the functional, and the business minded. This winning proposal is architecture in high, high class.”
Ritz Bjerregaard, the current mayor of Copenhagen also shared his thoughts, saying “With the winning project, we get a great high-rise building, which will bind the city better together and function as a landmark in the harbor.”
+ Steven Holl Architects
Via World Architecture News
Impressive architecture. Nice to see green innovation coexists with amazing high-tech design.
Keep in mind that there aren’t too many really tall buildings in Copenhagen and this will stand out all that much more.
Oh wow, another wonky landmark.
I see density from a working standpoint here, but not any indication of a dense urban fabric. Also, where are these wind generators? All I see is scaleless goofy form and an unneccessary bridge.