Danish pavilion at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale; photo © Inexhibit, 2016

Art of Many and the Right to Space – The Danish exhibition at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale

Curated by Boris Brorman Jensen and Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss on behalf of the Danish Architecture Center, the contribution of Denmark to the 15th Venice Biennale is a comprehensive survey on today’s Danish architecture.

Entitled “Art of Many and the Right to Space“, the exhibition presents 130 architectural models, or “prototypes”, each representative of one project, divided into 5 thematic areas entitled “Beyond Luxury”, “Designing Life”, “Claiming Space”, “Exit Utopia”, and “Pro Community”.

The models are exhibited in a space which resembles a warehouse, informally placed on racks made with scaffolding tubes and plywood sheets.The visual effect in that of an architectural wunderkammer in which designs by internationally-acclaimed Danish firms – such as BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, 3XN, COBE, C.F. møller, and Henning Larsen Architects – are displayed side by side with those by emerging practices.

“Art of Many and the Right to Space”, installation views. Photos © Inexhibit, 2016

Most projects on show are for social housing, public buildings, and urban spaces, selected by the curators for their capability to represent the relationship between contemporary architecture and people’s social needs.

“There is broad consensus among architects that architecture should serve the people. However, there is not much agreement on how, when and by what means humanistic architecture should be created. We want to present a dynamic snapshot of Danish architecture and urban planning, but we also intend to dig deeper. It is our ambition to explore, dissect and discuss some of the paradoxes and conflicts that come with a new humanism in contemporary architecture,” Boris Brorman Jensen and Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss say.

The projects on view, sorted by theme

BEYOND LUXURY

Wealth and consumption are fundamentally linked and put a drain on our limited resources. Architecture must redefine luxury to ensure quality of life in the 21st century.

Almenbolig+ (Nordre Fælledkvarter, Robinielunden, Signalgården, Tømmergården) – ONV & JAJA architects

B&W Student Halls – BCVA Architecture

Beyond Luxury – BESSARDs’ STUDIO

Residential Tower in Antwerp – C.F. Møller Architects in collaboration with Brut Architecture and Urban Design

Brick House – LETH & GORI

Casas Melhoradas – Affordable housing in Maputo – Johan Mottelson & Jørgen Eskemose

DOKK8000 – COLORCLOUDSTUDIO

Egedalsvænge, Social Housing – WE Architecture

Public Housing Affected by People – AI

Haiyan House – Jakob Knudsen

Habour Houses – The City in the Building – ADEPT

HSB2023: Social Housing of the Future – C.F. Møller Architects

Lungholm Castle – Arkitektfirmaet Merete Lind Mikkelsen

Orangery – Lenschow & Pihlmann + Mikael Stentröm

Roof House – LETH & GORI

The Place in the World, The Body in Space – BO FROST architects

The Magoda Project – Jakob Knudsen

UNIONKUL – STACK I and II – Arcgency

Uptown Nørrebro – Arkitema Architects

Urban Rigger – Kim Loudrup & BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

Very Social Housing – BESSARDs’ STUDIO & LETH & GORI

“Urban Rigger” by BIG Bjarke Ingels Group, 2015

DESIGNING LIFE

Shaping human behaviour is in the DNA of architecture. From crowded cities to nursery schools, architects and planners should explore the impact of architecture.

Hinnerup Kollegiet – Residential units for people with autism – Wienberg Architects & Frier Architecture

Urban Hospice – NORD Architects Copenhagen

CEECD – Center for Early Childhood Development – CEBRA

Health Care Centre for Cancer Patients – NORD Architects Copenhagen

The International Criminal Court – schmidt hammer lassen architects

Children’s Home of the Future – CEBRA

Halden Prison – Erik Møller Architects & HLM Architects

Hellerup School – Arkitema Architects

Herlev Hospital – Henning Larsen Architects

Hospice Djursland – C.F. Møller Architects

Kids City – NORD Architects Copenhagen & COBE

Martin Buber Building – Jane Havshøj

Moesgaard Museum – Henning Larsen Architects

Munkegård School – Dorthe Mandrup Architects

Maersk Building, extension of the Panum complex – C. F. Møller Architects

Ningbo Home of Staff – schmidt hammer lassen architects

New Correctional Facility in Nuuk – Friis & Moltke

New North Zealand Hospital – Herzog de Meuron + Wilhelm Lauritzen Architects

Oslo Plads – KHR Arkitekter

Psykiatric hospital in Slagelse – Karlsson Arkitekter & VLA

SDU, University of Southern Denmark, Campus Kolding – Henning Larsen Architects

The Scool in the Forrest – RUBOW Arkitekter

Smart School – CEBRA

Natural History Museum of Denmark – Nicolai Bo Andersen

Theatrum Mundi – Nicolai Bo Andersen

VUC Syd – AART architects & ZENI Arkitekter

Ørestad College – 3XN

Ørestad School – KHR Arkitekter

“Art of Many and the Right to Space”, installation views; photo © Inexhibit, 2016

CLAIMING SPACE

Generous public spaces are not extravagant. Creating space for public life where there is none means putting people first and pursuing the ideal of an open society.

ARC – Amager Resource Centre – BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

The City Dune – SEB Bank – SLA

CBS Campus – TRANSFORM & C.F. Møller Architects

Cleaning Facilities Centre – POLYFORM & Karres En Brand

Cycling and Athletics Arena, Odense – Mikkelsen Architects

The Bicycle Snake – DISSING + WEITLING Architecture

Dalarna Media Arena – ADEPT

The Island of the Dead – Jonathan Meldgaard Houser

Dokk1 – schmidt hammer lassen architects

Estonia Academy of Arts – EFFEKT + LETH & GORI

Facade of the Parish Community Centre at Trinitatis Church – Mathilde Petri Architects

Faaborg Habour Bath (URBAN AGENCY, JDS Architects) – URBAN AGENCY, D. Børresen, JDS Architects, CREO

Järva Burial Ground – Kristine Jensens Tegnestue

KU.BE – ADEPT + MRDVR

Cultural Centre ‘Plassen’ – 3XN

Laayoune Competence Centre – URBAN AGENCY, Oualalou+Choi

Nordvest Cultural Centre and Library – TRANSFORM & COBE

Novo Nordisk Nature Park – SLA

Ny Banegårdsgade, Aarhus – TRANSFORM & COBE

New Nørreport Station – COBE & Gottlieb Paludan Architects

Public Private Partnership, Gellerup Nord – Arkitema Architects

Park ‘n ‘play – Nordhavn Parking House – JAJA architects

Red Cross Volunteer House – COBE

Sydhavn School – JJW Arkitekter

11 Sonnesgade – SLETH

Talinn City Hall – BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

Tønder Town Hall – WE Architecture

Urban Lobby – SLETH

Vinge Station – THIRD NATURE & Henning Larsen Architects

Aarhus Stadium – COLORCLOUDSTUDIO

“Cultural Center Plassen”, Norway, by 3XN Architects

EXIT UTOPIA

Modernist ideology wanted full control of both society and nature. It failed. Today, new alliances between people, the built environment and nature are shaping the future.

Bank-Mikkelsens Vej -Vandkunsten Architects

The Mountain – BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

Enghave Climate Park – THIRD NATURE

Green Lighthouse – Christensen og Co. Architects

Green School Stockholm – 3XN

Grønby Strand – BCVA Architecture

House of Water – THIRD NATURE

Human Habitat – AI

Islev ID – SLETH

Kalvebod Waves (URBAN AGENCY, JDS Architects) – URBAN AGENCY, JDS Architects and D. Børresen

Climate Habour and Climate City – Middelfart Kommune, Middelfart Spildevand, EFFEKT, GHB and ADEPT

Climate Neighbourhood – THIRD NATURE

Kokkedal – Schønherr

Copenhagen Climate Resilient Block – Henning Larsen Architects

Løkkensvej – Schønherr

Nordhavn – POLYFORM, SLETH & COBE

Public Air Copenhagen – Frans Drewniak & Philippe Rahm

Water Purifying Plant – Toposfære

Skjern Open-Air Swimming Pool – KRADS

Steely Urban Spaces – ERIK BRANDT DAM Architects & SLETH

sØnæs – Møller & Grønborg

The BIG U – BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

Vinge City – Frederikssund Municipality, EFFEKT & Henning Larsen Architects

Water Shore Habitat – MAP Architects

“House of Water, Copenhagen, by THIRD NATURE; photo © Inexhibit, 2016

PRO COMMUNITY

When people organize and demand influence they move the world. The future is powered by strong communities.

AiH – Andelssamfundet i Hjortshøj – Force4 + CUBO

Musicon Urban District – COBE/MVRDV, SNE Architects, Olafur Eliasson & Sebastian Behmann, Bille Arc, Niels Peter Flint, Christensen & Co, Creo arkitekter, Mangor & Nagel, KAB and others

NærHeden Urban District – Arkitema Architects

Children’s Culture House – Dorte Mandrup Architects in collaboration with Nøhr & Sigsgaard

Ceremony Room – Svendborg Architects

Chittagong Public Bath – Anders Peder Larsen

One Model – Tyra Lea Amdisen Dokkedahl, Frida Sophie Vang Petersen, Victor Gammelgaard &Thais Kvejborg Espersen

FBAB Future Sustainable Social Housing – DISSING + WEITLING Architecture

Fjelstervang Outdoor Community Centre – Spektrum Arkitekter

GAME: Streetmekka – EFFEKT

Harpa – Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre – Henning Larsen Architects

Heteretopias og Roskilde Festival – Jes Vagnby

HOPE – House of Peace – Junya Ishigami & Johnny Svendborg

Hunstad – Anders Abraham & Christina Capetillo

Club Island Vejle – TRANSFORM

Køge Shoreline – Vandkunsten Architects

Langvang Multi Purpose hall – ELKIÆR + EBBESKOV and LETH & GORI aps

Light Pavilion – Andersen & Sigurdsson Architects

Marine Education Centre – NORD Architects Copenhagen

Temporary Urban Spaces – Schønherr

Multi-Purpose Hall ‘Pulsen’ – ELKIÆR + EBBESKOV and LETH & GORI aps

Musholm Multi-Purpose Hall – AART architects

Islamic Community Centre and Mosque in Copenhagen – Henning Larsen Architects

Nøjkjærhus Cultural Centre – LUMO Architects

Prismen – Dorte Mandrup Architects

ReGEN Villages – EFFEKT

Tietgen Residence Hall – Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects

Tingbjerg Culture House – COBE

“Musicon Urban District”, by COBE/MVRDV, SNE Architects, Olafur Eliasson & Sebastian Behmann, Bille Arc, Niels Peter Flint, Christensen & Co, Creo arkitekter, Mangor & Nagel, KAB and others; photo © Inexhibit, 2016

“Ragnarock museum” by COBE + MVRDV, MUSICON district, photo © Ossip van Duivenbode

“DOKK8000” by Colorcloudstudio; photo © Inexhibit, 2016