The new Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is scheduled to open early next year, aspires to integrate seamlessly into the largely residential neighborhood of Ørestad (which sits between City Hall and Copenhagen Airport) through design refinements that bring this massive—35,000-sm (377,000-sf)—multipurpose building to a human scale.
“The project looks both inward and out,” says Jan Ammundsen, Senior Partner with 3XN Architects, the project’s designer. That balance will be achieved by the combination of two primary elements: a plinth that absorbs the movement of spectators through a variety of small plazas, pockets, stairs and gathering areas carved from the plinth’s perimeter; and the “bowl” inside whose design prioritizes clear sight lines and wayfinding, service, and smoother visitor circulation.
The building’s design also addresses the “passive user” who may not even enter the arena, with four smaller public squares around the arena, which establish inviting areas where locals can socialize, play sports, or relax.
Ørestad is accessible by car, metro, and trains, and the arena will be situated at the heart of a new urban district that will include housing, offices, and an ice rink. Local planning also allows for a new primary and lower secondary school with sports facilities.
The oval-shaped arena, which can accommodate up to 16,000 people, features a semi-transparent glass façade system topped with wooden fins that are up to 35 meters long. The façade that allows natural light to pour in is coupled with warm materials to make a strong connection with the plinth.
The design also protects the surrounding area from noise pollution. A 3D-model was used to determine the typical sound pressure level for concerts held in the arena. By doing so, the agreed noise limits can be determined and the optimal sound insulation performance level of each part of the facade and roof can be calculated.
The Building Team on this project includes HKS (arena specialist), ARUP and ME Engineers (engineering), and Planit-IE (landscape architect). Other consultants that worked with Arena CPHX—a company that was formed to oversee construction of the arena—include Davis Langdon (an AECOM company), and COWI as the project manager.
The building is owned by Realdania and the Municipality of Copenhagen, which each kicked in 325 million Danish Krone (US$48.2 million) for this project. A committee under the Danish Ministry of Culture also made a conditional contribution of 15 million DKK.
Live Nation will operate the arena, which will open on February 3 with a performance by the rock group Metallica, whose drummer, Lars Ulrich, is Danish.
Wooden fins up to 35 meters long form the cladding over the semi-transparent exterior of the Royal Arena. Image: Adam Mørk, Courtesy of 3XN Architects.
Related Stories
| Oct 30, 2014
New hotel to be developed at future Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters
The Omni property will be one of the only full-service upscale hotels in the area, and serve as a cornerstone of the mixed-use development, which will be anchored by the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and Frisco’s Multi-Use Event Center.
| Oct 20, 2014
Singapore Sports Hub claims world's largest free-spanning dome
The retractable roof, which measures a whopping 1,017-feet across, is made from translucent ETFE plastic panels supported with metal rigging that arches over the main pitch.
| Oct 16, 2014
Perkins+Will white paper examines alternatives to flame retardant building materials
The white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 found in the indoor environment, and 33 in human blood, milk, and tissues.
| Oct 15, 2014
Harvard launches ‘design-centric’ center for green buildings and cities
The impetus behind Harvard's Center for Green Buildings and Cities is what the design school’s dean, Mohsen Mostafavi, describes as a “rapidly urbanizing global economy,” in which cities are building new structures “on a massive scale.”
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 17, 2014
Atlanta Braves break ground on mixed-use ballpark development
SunTrust Park will be constructed by American Builders 2017, a joint venture between Brasfield & Gorrie, Mortenson Construction, Barton Malow Company, and New South Construction.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
