'Skybox House' by Primus Arkitekter, photo by Tina Krogager

North of the island Zealand is traditionally the area where people from Copenhagen have a small and lo-fi summerhouse. The Copenhagen based practice Primus Arkitekter recently realised this modest 75m2 example which is characterised by the typical wooden cladding, large openings and several skylights.

'Skybox House' by Primus Arkitekter, photo by Tina Krogager

But let’s see what the architects have to say:


Layout
With 2 bedrooms it offers a total of 75 m2 of living space. The plot is a partitioning of a larger plot belonging to an old thatched house and is partly enclosed by trees. The two buildings in each end of the plot, is inhabited by two generations, share the garden, and in the layout of the site plan attention has been given to providing both separate and common spaces.


Architectural focus
The main focus has been to add spatiality and experience of light to the relatively small program. The plan sets the bedrooms apart from the large living space and introduces an open hallway. Diagonal views stretch out through the whole building. In working with the section ceiling height is minimized to give contrast to the “sky-boxes” that add spatiality and air.
The large glazed openings incorporate the sky as a 5th façade. Large sliding doors merges the in- and outside

'Skybox House' by Primus Arkitekter, photo by Tina Krogager

Construction
The balloon frame construction sits on the exposed concrete base. 30 x 30 mm oak lists wrap the building. The lists are treated with iron sulfate which darkens and enhances the structure of the wood.
Floor boards are oak as well. Insulation is mineral wool, roof 300 mm, walls 150 mm.


Heating is provided by a heat pump integrated in the wall, reducing heating costs and CO2 emission. The “sky-boxes” ventilate the space trough natural chimney effect. A cast iron stove is for additional heating.

'Skybox House' by Primus Arkitekter, photo by Tina Krogager

'Skybox House' by Primus Arkitekter, photo by Tina Krogager

'Skybox House' by Primus Arkitekter, photo by Tina Krogager

Design team:

Architect: Primus architects, atelier + production
Per Appel (architect maa, partner), David Bülow-Jacobsen (architect maa, partner), Caspar Wissing (student of architecture)
All construction: Primus architects, atelier + production


to the Primus Arkitekter profile @ Architonic

Stool made from recycled aluminium by Mater

With this series of stools made from recycled aluminium the Danish manufacturer Mater is participating in the fair trade workshop SUSBIZ India managed and audited by the Danish Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises together with the Danish Commerce and Companies Agency. The objective of the project is to strengthen the ability of Danish companies and their Indian suppliers to create synergies between social and environmental improvements and core business.

‘High Stool’ by Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou (Space) is made from old car components and other waste and manufactured entirely by hand with the use of old traditional casting methods.

Stools and barstools made from recycled aluminium by Mater

Barstool made from recycled aluminium at The Fish Bar in Copenhagen, by Mater

Barstool made from recycled aluminium at The Fish Bar in Copenhagen by Mater

to the Mater website

‘Gymnasium’ by Søren Rose for Mater (DK)

Århus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall by C.F. Møller, photo by Poul Nyholm

With branches in London, Oslo and Copenhagen and the headquarter in Aarhus C.F. Møller Architects is one of the oldest and largest architectural practices in Scandinavia. Recently they unveiled their newest project, the Aarhus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall. The idea of this new kind of activity center which builds an extension of the Aarhus Gymnastics and Trampoline Hall is to invite and motivate children aged three to ten to develop motor skills while having fun playing. Possible future users of the hall are sporting associations, schools, youth centres, kindergartens, families etc.

Århus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall by C.F. Møller, photo by Poul Nyholm

Here is what the architects explain:

“Normally, when designing a traditional sports hall, the layout is strictly guided by fixed requirements – such as court sizes, heights and widths. Here the challenge has been to creatively re-think the concept of sports and play, and create something completely unique.

A sculpturally-formed climbing frame, called the seashell, rises in the middle of the hall. With its many sloping surfaces, holes and hanging ropes it calls to be investigated by curious boys and girls – the bravest of them can climb all the way to the top, three storeys up right under the ceiling, where a small glass tower discloses a beautiful view of Aarhus Bay and the nearby Mols hills.

The hall also invites movement through its many footbridges and platforms located along the length of the hall, and flexibly furnished zones called kangaroo land with trampolines and jumping equipment, and a so-called monkey land with ropes and jungle-like density. Hanging on the wall they will find a labyrinth designed for crawling several floors up.

The unusual spaces which arise through the extension have also been put to active use; the slanting roof surface of the existing hall has for example been transformed into an indoor climbing wall.

From the outside, the hall has the appearance of a raw concrete shell, with large, slanting windows and stairways which lend transparency and dynamics to the facade.”

Århus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall by C.F. Møller, photo by Poul Nyholm

Århus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall by C.F. Møller, photo by Julian Weyer

Århus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall by C.F. Møller, photo by Julian Weyer

Aarhus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall by C.F. Møller, photo by Poul Nyholm

Client: VIK Gymnastik

Architect: C. F. Møller Architects

Engineering: Moe & Brødsgaard A/S

Size: 1600m2 (1200m2 new building and 400m2 refurbishment)

Address: Hvidkildevej, Aarhus, Denmark

Year: 2009-2010


to the C.F. Møller profile @ Architonic

'Nara' chair by Shin Azumi for Fredericia Furniture

Tokyo- and London-based Shin Azumi has designed a new chair for Danish brand Fredericia Furniture, which, with its horn-shaped backrest, has a playful zoomorphism about it. According to the manufacturer, the back element was the starting point for the designer as he set about creating the piece. ‘Azumi first defined the top edge and vertical supports of the backrest to get the best level of comfort and to create maximum support. All superfluous material from the backrest was then removed,’ says the company.

'Nara' chair by Shin Azumi for Fredericia Furniture

Beyond their sculptural function, the ‘horns’ also function as hooks for jackets, bags and the like. So what are you waiting for? Get hanging.

'Nara' chair by Shin Azumi for Fredericia Furniture

to the Fredericia Furniture collections on Architonic

Red Blue Motion Totem by Malene Landgreen, 2010

‘Red Blue Motion Totem’ is the meaningful name of Malene Landgreen’s current exhibition at Esbjerg Kunstmuseum in her home country Denmark. The installation was realised on the occasion and celebration of the 100th birthday of Danish painter Richard Mortensen. With her giant wall-paintings combined with mirrored columns Malene Landgreen pays tribute to the expressive work of the jubilee and created an optical illusion which dissolves the central perspective and splits the space into striking colour fields – one could call it ’3d-cubism’.

The exhibition will be open until 5 September 2010.

Red Blue Motion Totem by Malene Landgreen, 2010

Red Blue Motion Totem by Malene Landgreen, 2010

Red Blue Motion Totem by Malene Landgreen, 2010

Red Blue Motion Totem by Malene Landgreen, 2010

to the Malene Landgreen website

'Silver', detail, by Annemette Beck

Annemette Beck lives up to Denmark’s reputation for textile design. Famous for her experiments with new combinations of structures and materials such as rubber, paper yarn, all kinds of metal threads etc. the work of the Danish weaver and textile designer covers rugs, upholstery fabrics, runners, blinds and room dividers.

'Silver' panels by Annemette Beck

'Rubber rug' by Annemette Beck

'Bicycle' detail

Different panels by Annemette Beck

to the Annemette Beck website

Mater collection

The most obvious way to produce sustainable and eco-friendly furniture is still the ‘old fashioned’ way – local materials and high quality locally manufactured. The Danish manufacturer Mater pays tribute to the ‘simpler time in our lives’. In 2008 it created together with Copenhagen based designer Søren Rose the ‘High School History Lesson’ series – a limited edition of furniture produced from recycled gym floorboards. With ‘Gymnasium’ they launched a mass-produced series that uses renewable pine and controlled Danish oak with water-based fixatives and varnishes. All pieces are manufactured by Denmark’s oldest cabinet makers Bruno Hansen carpentry.

'Gymnasium' oak edition

“Like its predecessor, Gymnasium honors its past while investing in the future. For every piece purchased, mater donates a percentage of the profits to promoting sports in developing countries, allowing a new generation to be inspired to play and create… For every one of the million of products we use to improve the quality of our lives, there are associated environmental, ethical and social consequences. while some products have a small environmental bearing, others consume finite resources in vast quantities and are produced under conditions of labour abuse and environmental damage.”

'Gymnasium' pine edition

'Gymnasium' old edition

to the ‘Gymnasium’ website

Denmark's EXPO-Pavilion by BIG, photo by Iwan Baan

She has been beheaded, painted and blown up, but this time it was not some troublemakers who kidnapped the original Little Mermaid, Copenhagen’s beloved landmark, from her rock. From May til October visitors of the World EXPO in Shanghai will be able to see her elegantly sitting in Denmark’s pavilion designed by Bjarke Ingels Group.

The actual attraction though is the conceptual background of the pavilion. Denmark donated 1001 bikes to the city of Shanghai in order to focus on an ecological urban development of the world’s fast growing mega-cities.

Denmark's EXPO-Pavilion by BIG, photo by Iwan Baan

“We weren’t really finding an obvious hook for our pavilion until we started looking at the recent urban development of Shanghai and Copenhagen. This is a photo of Shanghai from 30 years ago: broad boulevards jam packed with bicycles. Only 2 kinds of cars in Shanghai back then: Shanghai no 1 and Shanghai no 2.

With the massive economic boom and urban explosion everybody wants a car, the streets are congested with traffic jams, and the bicycle has even become forbidden in some parts of town.

In the same period of time, Copenhagen has been creating more bicycle lanes and reducing car traffic. The bicycle has become a symbol of a sustainable city and a healthy lifestyle.

We have developed multiple species of bikes to move not only ourselves but our kids and our stuff around as well.

We even have a so-called City Bike that visitors can borrow for free and move around town before they return.

We thought: Why don’t we relaunch the bicycle as something attractive in Shanghai. We’ll donate 1001 City Bikes to Shanghai that they can keep after the Expo.” BIG explains.

Denmark's EXPO-Pavilion by BIG, photo by Iwan Baan

“The pavilion is designed as a traffic loop created by the motion of city bikes and pedestrians tied in a knot. Over 300 free city bikes located upon the roofscape, offer the visitors a chance to experience the Danish urban lifestyle which includes biking everywhere. The loops are connected in two places. Coming from the inside, the visitors can move out onto the roof, pick up a bike and re‐visit the exhibition by bike as the outdoor cycle path slips into the interior and runs along the entire exhibition before exiting onto the EXPO grounds. The sequence of events at the exhibition takes place between two parallel facades – the internal and external. The internal is closed and contains different functions of the pavilion. The width varies and is defined by the programme of the inner space. The pavilion’s external façade is made of perforated steel. In the evening time, the façade becomes a sequenced instrument of interactive light illuminating the passers‐by.”

Denmark's EXPO-Pavilion by BIG, photo by Hanne Hvattun

“The pavilion is a monolithic structure in white painted steel which keeps it cool during the Shanghai summer sun due to its heat‐reflecting characteristics. The roof is covered with a light blue surfacing texture, known from Danish cycle paths. Inside, the floor is covered with light epoxy and also features the blue cycle path where the bikes pass through the building. The steel of the facade is perforated in a pattern that reflects the actual structural stresses that the pavilion is experiencing making it a 1:1 stress test. The blue cycle path and white concrete surfaces will further define the arrival and exit areas.”

Denmark's EXPO-Pavilion by BIG, photo by Iwan Baan

PS: By the way, while the mermaid is in Shanghai her place in Copenhagen will be replaced by Ai Wei Wei’s multimedia artwork, including a live broadcast of the statue in Shanghai.


to the BIG profile @ Architonic

Cecilie Manz in her Copenhagen studio

“Cecilie is just like her furniture,” a friend of mine who works as a designer told me when I mentioned I was going to be interviewing the Copenhagen-based designer Cecilie Manz. And, indeed, Manz exudes a calmness and composure much like her pared-down, uncomplicated work. It was extremely rewarding to meet her at this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair in February. Here’s our conversation.

'Mikado' side table by Cecilie Manz for Fredericia

As predicted, this year’s fair features a large number of novelties. It’s amazing just how quickly new products, which all claim good reasons to exist, are developed and produced. How long do you work on an object?
Yes, the mass of new products is incredible, but if you’ve ever spent time on a stand at a design fair, you’ll know that “What are you showing that’s new this year?” is always the first question to be asked. No wonder that manufacturers feel under pressure.
The development time of an object really depends on its complexity. But I can say for certain that, regardless of what type of object it is, it takes no less than a year for development. I’d say, on average, it’s between one and two and a half years.

You work alone. Does that mean you don’t like working in a team?
I’ve always worked on my own. Perhaps because I’ve never found the perfect partner. I don’t know. My work situation is perfect at the moment: I’ve got an assistant, who I value enormously. She questions my designs at critical points in the process. But I always have the last word.

This means that the number of commissions is limited.
That’s right. But I’d find it tough to take on commissions that I couldn’t look after properly. I can get enormousy involved in a project and that’s precisely what I like about my work. I can’t simply hand this intensive involvement over to another person. In this sense, a small, manageable studio is what suits me.

'Mondrian' pendant light for Lightyears

You’ve had your own studio for almost 12 years. How has the way that you work changed during this time?
Naturally, I’ve learnt a lot of practical things. A lot of blind alleys that I used to go down in the design process I now know not to revisit. This means my work is more focused, though it’s more limited, too. Apart from that, I still work in an old-fashioned way: I draw a lot with pencil and coloured pens, build small models. Thank God I can’t draw on a computer…

Your designs are extremely reduced in form. Do you see your work in the context of your Danish heritage?
Definitely. I believe our roots are in our blood and the culture that surrounds us, defines us. We people from the North tend to be quite sober and that shows up in classic Danish design. I try to limit my objects to the essential. In doing so, my work mirrors my temperament very well.

In spite of all restraint, as a designer you are part of a system in which sales figures are a decisive valuation factor.
I’m very aware of this, but I definitely don’t want to create things whose appearance and construction don’t serve their function. Many things are produced and bought, without people having thought about them. There should always be a clear reason for designing and producing a new product. It could be to improve functionality or to rationalise something, such as the use of a material, for example.


continue the interview @ Architonic

'Curve' by Foersom & Hiort-Lorenzen

At this year’s Salone del Mobile the Danish manufacturer Cane-line presented a range of beautiful traditionally manufactured rattan furniture designed by the Copenhagen based studio Foersom & Hiort-Lorenzen.

'Curve' by Foersom & Hiort-Lorenzen

'E-Body' by Foersom & Hiort-Lorenzen

more products by Cane-line @ Architonic