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

| Apr 19, 2012

KTGY Group’s Arista Uptown Apartments in Broomfield, Colo. completed

First of eight buildings highlights unique amenities.

| Apr 19, 2012

Nauset begins work on $20M Joint Forces HQ at Hanscom AFB

3D imaging key to project timetable and cost containment.

| Apr 17, 2012

FMI report examines federal construction trends

Given the rapid transformations occurring in the federal construction sector, FMI examines the key forces accelerating these changes, as well as their effect on the industry.

| Apr 17, 2012

Miramar College police substation in San Diego receives LEED Platinum

The police substation is the first higher education facility in San Diego County to achieve LEED Platinum Certification, the highest rating possible.

| Apr 16, 2012

University of Michigan study seeks to create efficient building design

The result, the researchers say, could be technologies capable of cutting the carbon footprint created by the huge power demands buildings place on the nation’s electrical grid.

| Apr 16, 2012

Drake joins EYP as science and technology project executive

Drake’s more than 30 years of diversified design and project delivery experience spans a broad range of complex building types.

| Apr 13, 2012

Best Commercial Modular Buildings Recognized

Judges scored building entries on a number of criteria including architectural excellence, technical innovation, cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and calendar days to complete, while marketing pieces were judged on strategy, implementation, and quantifiable results. Read More

| Apr 6, 2012

Flat tower green building concept the un-skycraper

A team of French designers unveil the “Flat Tower” design, a second place winner in the 2011 eVolo skyscraper competition.

| Apr 2, 2012

EB-5 investment funds new Miramar, Fla. business complex

Riviera Point Holdings breaks ground on $17 million office center.

| Mar 28, 2012

Milestone reached for LEED-certified buildings?

Total number of major global green buildings now stands at 12,000.

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