flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

‘Floating’ triangular glass building from Foster + Partners breaks ground in Copenhagen

Office Buildings

‘Floating’ triangular glass building from Foster + Partners breaks ground in Copenhagen

The glass building provides the illusion of floating above a stone plinth.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | September 22, 2016

Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners

Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ new headquarters building is being constructed on the urban fringe of Copenhagen in Kastrup. Designed by Foster + Partners, the 39,000 sm glass building consists of six stacked floors and sits above a stone plinth, giving the building the appearance of floating. The plinth also acts as the first line of defense against flooding due to the structures waterside location, according to Foster + Partners.

The firm said they wanted to create a strong base that not only connects the building to its waterside location, but also lifts it above water level to provide the best views possible from the ground floor up to the top level.

From a top down perspective, the building takes the shape of an equilateral triangle with its glass atrium roof on full display right in the center. The atrium includes the entrance lobby, a café, breakout space, catered conference facilities, and space for social events.

Foster + Partners conducted targeted interviews and in-depth studies to best understand how the employees at Ferring worked in order to design a space specifically tailored to their needs. The offices and laboratories, for quiet, individual work, are located on the perimeter of the building in order to take advantage of surrounding views and natural light. All of the more collaborative meeting spaces are located closer to the center of the building and overlook the naturally lit atrium.

The roof canopy and all six floors cantilever out over the stone plinth to enhance surrounding views while also providing the more practical effect of creating self-shaded spaces on each floor. In order to blend in with the surrounding low-rise urban area, the façade of the headquarters building has a horizontal emphasis.

The scheduled completion date for the new Ferring Pharmaceuticals headquarters building is 2019.

 

Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners

 

Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners

Related Stories

| Feb 12, 2013

OMA's 'perimeter core' design wins competition for Essence Financial Building in Shenzhen

OMA partners David Gianotten and Rem Koolhaas rethink traditional office tower design with a plan that shifts the building's core to the edge for large, unobstructed plans.

| Feb 8, 2013

5 factors to consider when designing a shade system

Designing a shade system is more complex than picking out basic white venetian blinds. Here are five elements to consider when designing an interior shade system.

| Feb 6, 2013

RSMeans cost comparisons: office buildings and medical offices

RSMeans' February 2013 Cost Comparison Report breaks down the average construction costs per square foot for four types of office buildings across 25 metro markets.

| Feb 1, 2013

Delinquency rate for U.S. commercial real estate loans hits 11-month low

The delinquency rate for U.S. commercial real estate loans in CMBS fell 14 basis points in January to 9.57%. This is the lowest level in 11 months, according to Trepp, LLC's latest U.S. CMBS Delinquency Report.

| Jan 31, 2013

The Opus Group completes construction of corporate HQ for Church & Dwight Co.

The Opus Group announced today the completion of construction on a new 250,000-square-foot corporate headquarter campus for Church & Dwight Co., Inc., in Ewing Township, near Princeton, N.J.

| Jan 31, 2013

More cities requiring large buildings to use EPA’s energy management and reporting

In 2012, Philadelphia joined several other U.S. cities in passing a requirement that large buildings use Portfolio Manager, the Environmental Protection Agency’s energy management tool, to measure and report energy performance.

| Jan 29, 2013

Astellas' New Headquarters for the Americas Earns LEED Gold Certification

The new headquarters for Astellas in the Americas in Northbrook, Ill., has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the USGBC.

| Jan 16, 2013

SOM’s innovative Zhengzhou Greenland Plaza opens

The 2.59-million-square-feet building houses a mixed-use program of offices on its lower floors and a 416-room hotel.

| Dec 9, 2012

The owner’s perspective: high-rise buildings

Douglas Durst on the practicalities of development: “You must think about a building from the inside out.”

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Sustainable Design and Construction

Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.


MFPRO+ News

San Francisco unveils guidelines to streamline office-to-residential conversions

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection announced a series of new building code guidelines clarifying adaptive reuse code provisions and exceptions for converting office-to-residential buildings. Developed in response to the Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse program established in July 2023, the guidelines aim to increase the viability of converting underutilized office buildings into housing by reducing regulatory barriers in specific zoning districts downtown. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021