danielsen architects: halfdansgade 8, copenhagen

‘halfdansgade 8’ by danielsen architectsall images courtesy of danielsen architects

using a rust-colored copper alloy and generous glazing, the danish office building ‘halfdansgade 8’ by copenhagen-based firm danielsen architects, reverses the language of monumental glass facades in favor of an industrial tectonic palette. built between the housing blocks of the harbour-front island brygge and two industrial buildings, the frame of the structure repeats the facade proportions of the neighboring architecture albeit with a material twist. aside from being clad in ‘tombak’, a hybrid of metals that results in luminous variety of warm browns, the roofline is further emphasized by the glazed south-facing curtain wall. featuring highly insulated, sun-reflective glass, the tectonic gesture creates a distinctly local formal language while allowing interiors to be bathed in light. the program is flexible enough for a single or multiple tenant, having been organized by a dividing main stair and single lobby; however, the jagged roofline folds and continues down the gable to provide a unified skin that challenges copenhagen’s skyline.   

the build tapers from the street while artfully mimicking the surrounding architecture

a jagged roofline formally emphasizes the dynamic building skin 

the office building challenges notions of the tectonic possibilities of a commercial building by composing, rather than monumentalizing, glazing

the roof both appropriates and breaks from vernacular architectural typologies

interiors are consequentially light-filled

view of an office

a copper alloy warms the building envelope and adds visual texture

a generously glazed curtain wall opens up the facade laterally 

project info: 

program: four-storey office building (2,000 m2) client: c.w. obelengineer: leif hansen and obh gruppencontractor: wr entreprise a/saddress: halfdansgade 8,islands brygge