charred timber wraps this förstberg ling-designed cabin outside copenhagen

förstberg ling arrives in denmark

Swedish architecture studio Förstberg Ling completes a contemporary rural house in Veddinge, along a coastal area on the northern tip of Zeeland near Copenhagen. The home occupies a place where the terrain transitions from lowlands to grassy hills. A 1950s cabin sits on a slope overlooking the sea, offering expansive views of the coastline. To complement the original structure, the architecture studio introduced a detached extension that provides additional bedrooms and a living room while preserving the existing kitchen and living spaces.

clustered volumes form the cabin extension

Förstberg Ling, the Malmö-based studio led by architect Björn Förstberg, designed the house as a cluster of four interconnected volumes of varying heights. Together, these boxes are arranged to form a hidden atrium at the center. As occupants move through the house, they navigate around this hidden space, experiencing a series of interconnected rooms that shift between narrow and tall to wider and lower. The house integrates different levels at the front and back, creating a dynamic variation in scale across the structure.

charred pine encloses warm timber interiors

To create the house’s dark and dramatic appearance within its pastoral site, Förstberg Ling clads the exterior walls in blackened pine. This material choice serves to contrast with the light, warm plywood interior, which incorporates veneers of varying textures. Narrow, elongated windows emphasize the verticality of the dwelling, framing treetop views and offering a distinct visual experience compared to the original cabin’s horizontal panoramas of the sea. This interplay of materials and perspectives enhances the dialogue between the new structure and its natural surroundings.

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project info:

name: House with a Hidden Atrium

architect: Förstberg Ling | @forstberg_ling

location: Veddinge, Denmark

completion: 2022

photography: © Markus Linderoth | @markuslinderoth