With an iconic address in Copenhagen right along the lakes, this former office building is known by the city’s residents as the “Desert Fortress”. The building was named this because of its large concrete facade.

The architect’s vision for the renovation was to make the building more modern and inviting, with a more open and transparent facade. A lot of experimentation went into the design of the new GRC facade to achieve a surface inspired by the original architecture. The new GRC facade elements are grey coloured with exposed aggregates, creating a textured finish. The facade elements are mounted with embedded bracket, resulting in a concealed mounting.

Sustainable renovation

From the outset, the developer had a decide to have the renovation environmentally certified. As one of the first renovation projects in Denmark, this renovation has been certified with DGNB Gold.

GRC is an ideal building material for environmental certifications, such as DGNB, which looks at the life cycle of a project. The material itself is durable, resistant, and sustainable and the production is environmentally friendly with no toxic materials and a low consumption of energy.

Architects:         Arkitema Architects & Henning Larsen Architects
Contractor:                       NCC Denmark A/S
Developer:                       ATP Ejendomme
Producer of GRC:            BB fiberbeton A/S
Construction completed: 2021