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

BIM and Information Technology | Mar 28, 2017

Digital tools accelerated the design and renovation of one contractor’s new office building

One shortcut: sending shop drawings created from laser scans directly to a wood panel fabricator.

Office Buildings | Mar 27, 2017

New York warehouse to become an office mixing industrial and modern aesthetics

The building is located in West Chelsea between the High Line and West Street.

Office Buildings | Mar 24, 2017

Brookfield expands its ‘office of the future’ brand to Houston

The developer engaged four design firms to come up with unique suites it will market under its DesignHive label. 

Office Buildings | Mar 21, 2017

Fruit company’s HQ acts as an oasis among surrounding industrial processing yards

Graham Baba Architects designed the project around a central, landscaped courtyard.

Office Buildings | Mar 20, 2017

The new workplace: More than a generational issue

Today’s workplace requires designers and employers to look holistically at the organization’s culture, its criteria for success, and its place in the world.

Office Buildings | Mar 7, 2017

Large creative office projects generate staggering returns for property investors

A new Transwestern report examines the adaptive reuse trend across the U.S.

Office Buildings | Mar 2, 2017

White paper from Perkins Eastman and Three H examines how design can inform employee productivity and wellbeing

This paper is the first in a planned three-part series of studies on the evolution of diverse office environments and how the contemporary activity-based workplace (ABW) can be uniquely tailored to support a range of employee personalities, tasks and work modes.

Office Buildings | Mar 2, 2017

Office renovation and addition give new life to a section of Huntsville, Ala.

The newly opened Freedom Center, near Redstone Arsenal, includes a 10,000-sf conference center.

Office Buildings | Feb 24, 2017

The sun’s rays helped shape this Studio Gang-designed NYC tower

Solar Carve Tower advances Studio Gang’s ‘solar carving’ design strategy.

Office Buildings | Feb 16, 2017

Bjarke Ingels Group wins competition to design S.Pellegrino Flagship Factory

The factory will immerse employees and visitors in nature from all sides.

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