Architect
country:Denmark
website: www.3xn.dk
Bio
Year of birth
1954
Education
Architect MAA, graduated from the Aarhus School of Architecture, 1981.
Position
Founder, Principal, Partner and Artistic Director.
Memberships
Member of Danske ARK (Danish Architects' Assoc.) Membership no 6427- 280354.
Chartered member of RIBA, UK. Membership number 10953725.
Member of UN Global Compact.
Honorary Office Jury member and Distinctions
Jury member, World Architecture Festival 2008, 2009
Jury member, Architectural Review’s Awards for Emerging Architecture 2006
Jury member, The Architects’ Association of Denmark
External examiner at the Royal Danish Academy of Art
Member of PAR's Prize Committee
Member of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
C. F. Hansen Medal – the highest order among architects in Denmark, 2009
Knight of Dannebrog, 2000
The Eckersberg Medaille, 1999
Awards: RIBA (2005, 2007, 2009), Mipim (2004, 2006)
Project Experience
3XN (1986-) selected projects:
• Frederiksberg Courthouse, Copenhagen, DK (2009
• Bridge over Copenhagen Inner Harbour, pedestrian bridges, Copenhagen, DK (2009)
• Dublin Concert Hall, Dublin, IE (2009)
• Daimler, head office, Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, DE (2009)
• Horten, head office, Tuborg Harbour, DK (2006-2009)
• CPH Arch, 2 towers and a bridge, Copenhagen, DK (2008)
• KPMG, head office, Copenhagen, DK (2008-2011)
• Marmormolen, masterplan, Copenhagen, DK, 1. prize (2008)
• The Blue Planet, new Denmark’s Aquarium, Copenhagen, DK, 1. prize (2008-2013)
• Z-Raderna, dwellings, Stockholm, SE, 1. prize (2008-)
• Kubus, Berlin, DE, 1. prize (2007-)
• Theatre and Jazzhouse in Molde, NO, 1. prize. (2007-2011)
• Lighthouse, mixed use, Aarhus, DK, 1. prize (2006-)
• Rainbow, mixed use, Dublin, IE, 2. prize (2006-)
• Bella Hotel, Copenhagen, DK, 1. prize (2006-2011)
• Horsens Stadium, DK, 1. prize (2006-2009)
• Middelfart Savings Bank, DK, 1. prize (2006-2010)
• Stadshuis Nieuwegein, NL (2006-2011)
• Arts and Media Centre, University of Salford, Manchester, UK, 1. prize (2005-)
• Museum of Liverpool, UK, 1. prize (2005-2010)
• Saxo Bank, head office, Tuborg Havn, DK, 1. prize (2005-2008)
• Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam, NL (2005)
• Deloitte Building, Copenhagen, DK (2001-2005)
• Technical School in Tangen, Kristiansand, NO, 1. prize (2004-2009)
• Ørestad College, Copenhagen, DK, 1. prize (2003-2007)
• Alsion, university, science park and concert hall, Sønderborg, DK, 1. prize (2002-2007)
• DFDS Terminal, Copenhagen, DK (2003-2004)
• Danish Embassy in Berlin, DE (1999)
• Architect’s House, Copenhagen, DK (1996)
:: Profile at ArchiTravel >
http://www.architravel.com/architravel/architects/225
1 > Bella Sky
Photo Courtesy © Adam Moerk
2-3 > Middlefart Savings Bank
Photo Courtesy © Adam Moerk
Photo Courtesy © Philip Handforth
5 > Saxo Bank
Photo Courtesy © Adam Moerk
6 > The Blue Planet
Photo Courtesy © 3XN Architects
Most recent people interviewed (View all)
Toal O' Muire
Árpád Ferdinánd
Constantin Xenakis
Isaac A. Meir
Kim Herforth Nielsen
Most recent list of themes (View all)
on Architecture and Theory
on Architecture and Competent Authorities
on Architecture
on Architecture and Sustainability
on Educating Architecture
on Promoting Architecture
on Architecture and Events
on Guiding Architecture
on Architecture and Photography
on Architecture and Politics
on Architecture and Skyscrapers
on Architecture and Art
on Architecture and Travel
My point of view:
on Architecture and Travel
Interview Date: 14-09-2011
What is the importance of architectural tourism?
It is very important that we as architects learn from each other and I think that this arrangement here at the WAF is very important for the understanding between people.
What is the importance of traveling, especially for Architects and humans in general?
It is for everybody of course important but for the architects especially to get inspiration and to learn from what is happening around the world; how people are living, to understand what it’s happening. The same thing is for people. It’s so great to see people from Iran, India, China, Russia and USA talk together like friends do.
::You have created the architectural office “3XN architects”, based in Copenhagen. You operate in a project-oriented network structure, and at every stage we team up in workshops with partners, experts, users etc. At the workshop you discuss the results of our research, develop the concept and a framework for the design work.
Denmark is a country with great history. Designing a modern building within this context is a complex procedure. Is critical regionalism an approach to your architecture?
Yes it is but what it is the most important for me when I design the building is to see what it can do for people’s behavior like when we plan a city what it can do for the people that behave in the city; within for example an educational building how can it make the students talk more together and learn more. If we build an office building how can it make the whole office work better and people to interact and communicate more between each other. That is what we focus on when we design a building.
We are used nowadays to deal with star-architects whose brand name is overexposed. How does your network structure exactly work and can it be competitive to these huge star-architecture firms?
It is about having a gender where you’re doing what you’re doing, why you’re designing what you’re designing and I think we are now working all over the world; the last country is now India where we have three high rises that we are going to do over there and that’s very much because of our agenda, about creating architecture, doing architecture that creates behavior and does something for the life of people and not only to make a beautiful design. Of course we should make a beautiful design but I think the design comes out of what you want to achieve, what’s inside and outside of a building. This approach, this dialogue approached is quite unique so that’s why it is very demanded around the world. That’s why we got our jobs in India, America, UK; it is because we had this approach about putting the dialogue in focus.
Is the world financial crisis an opportunity for everyone to reconsider the ways that we design and construct the buildings and the urban environment?
We have to think a lot more about what we’re doing because of the crisis of course. We cannot build to show off; it has to have benefits. It has of course to get some profits out of it too but we have to think about the environment more than we did before and the crisis makes us think a lot more about what we’re doing. The competition now is harder than it has ever been and that’s very good for the quality that comes out of it.
In recent years attention turns to green urban regeneration. Do you think that it is imperative for the city or it’s just a new fashion with economic outcomes and covertly interests?
Now we talk very much about sustainability but in a few years we won’t talk so much about it; we will just do it. It is imperative that we do everything with sustainable purpose. We can only do sustainable buildings in the future to survive. Every big company that wants a new building wants to make a green building, sustainable building very much because it creates a better environment inside the building for the people that work in the building. With the prices rising there’s profit in too and then of course we have to think about the climate. In five years we won’t talk about it; we will do it.
At the end, can you please provide your personal proposal of 10 buildings (constructed and visitable) which you think as the most important worldwide that someone must visit anyway?
My favorite building has nothing to do with the sustainability. It’s more like a big beautiful sculpture; la Ronchamp church by Le Corbusier It’s always been my favorite building because it’s so beautiful, but it’s not in the category of what you said. It could be the library in Seattle for example; it’s a great building that really does something for the city.
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