Architecture World: ''Sky Village'' - Copenhagen's New High rise

Nov 6, 2008

''Sky Village'' - Copenhagen's New High rise - By MVRDV and ADEPT

The municipality of Rødovre, an independent municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark, announced MVRDV and co-architect ADEPT winner of the design competition of the Rødovre Skyscraper. The 116 meter tall tower accommodates apartments, a hotel, retail and offices. A public park and a plaza are also part of the privately funded scheme.

Image (CopyrightMVRDV / ADEPT Architects ),design for mix-use high-rise ‘Sky Village’ for Copenhagen,(click 2 enlarge)

Image (Copyright MVRDV / ADEPT Architects); Street View at Night,(click 2 enlarge)

The new skyscraper with a total surface of 21,688m2 will be located at Roskildevej, a major artery East of the center of Copenhagen. It is after the Frøsilos MVRDV’s second project in Copenhagen. The skyscraper’s shape reflects Copenhagen’s historical spire and present day high-rise blending in the skyline of the city, it further combines the two distinctive typologies of Rødovre, the single family home and the skyscraper in a vertical village. Consideration of these local characteristics leads to Copenhagen’s first contemporary high-rise.

Image (CopyrightMVRDV / ADEPT Architects ),View from street,(click 2 enlarge)

Image (Copyright MVRDV / ADEPT Architects), design for mix-use high-rise ‘Sky Village’ for Copenhagen,(click 2 enlarge)

Responding to unstable markets the design is based on a flexible grid, allowing alteration of the program by re-designating units. These ‘pixels’ are each 60m2 square and arranged around the central core of the building, which for flexibility consists of three bundled cores allowing separate access to the different program segments.

Image (Copyright MVRDV / ADEPT Architects), structure diagram,(click 2 enlarge)

Image (Copyright MVRDV / ADEPT Architects); Stacking Diagram,(click 2 enlarge)

On the lower floors the volume is slim to create space for the surrounding public plaza with retail and restaurants; the lower part of the high rise consists of offices, the middle part leans north in order to create a variety of sky gardens that are terraced along the south side. This creates a stacked neighborhood, a Sky Village. From this south orientation the apartments are benefiting. The top of the building will be occupied by a hotel enjoying the view towards Copenhagen city center. The constellation of the pixels allows flexibility in function; the building can be transformed by market forces, however at this moment it is foreseen to include 970m2 retail, 15,800m2 offices, 3,650m2 housing and 2,000m2 hotel and a basement of 13,600m2 containing parking and storage.

Image (Copyright MVRDV / ADEPT Architects); Programme Flexibility Diagram,(click 2 enlarge)

Image(Copyright MVRDV / ADEPT Architects); Organization Diagram,(click 2 enlarge)

Flexibility for adaptation is one of the best sustainable characteristics of a building. Besides this the Sky Village will also integrate the latest technologies according to the progressive Danish environmental standards. Furthermore the plans include a greywater circuit, the use of 40% recycled concrete in the foundation and a variety of energy producing devices on the facade.

Image(CopyrightMVRDV / ADEPT Architects); Light, Views and Terraces Diagram,(click 2 enlarge)

Image(CopyrightMVRDV / ADEPT Architects); Section,(click 2 enlarge)

A public park adjacent to the Sky Village is part of the project and will be refurbished with additional vegetation and the construction of a ‘super bench’, a meandering public path and bench. A playground, picnic area and exercise areas for elderly citizens are also part of the plan.

Image(CopyrightMVRDV / ADEPT Architects) , Plaza View,(click 2 enlarge)

Image(Copyright MVRDV / ADEPT Architects); Site Plan,(click 2 enlarge)

Lead architect MVRDV and co-architect ADEPT Architects won the competition from BIG, Behnisch and MAD. Winy Maas and Jacob van Rijs present the plan today in Copenhagen together with Anders Lonka and Martin Krogh from local office Adept Architects, Dutch engineering firm ABT and Søren Jenssen act as consultants for the project. Earlier MVRDV realised the Frøsilos / Gemini Residence in the port of Copenhagen: a residential project marking a new way in refurbishment of old silo’s which was highly acclaimed and received international awards.