Fredensborg Houses
Encyclopedia
The Fredensborg Houses form a housing complex in natural surroundings on the outskirts of the small town of Fredensborg
in the north of Zealand, Denmark
. The houses were designed by Jørn Utzon
for Danes who have worked for long periods abroad.
in nearby Helsingør. The 63 units were based on a competition project Utzon had developed for the south of Sweden in 1953, inspired by traditional Danish farmhouses set around a central courtyard and Chinese architecture, in which the houses open out onto a central court but are protected from the surroundings by their outer wall. The development was based on Utzon's additive approach
, starting modestly with one unit and proceeding from there, taking into account the lie of the land and the surroundings. Each unit was L-shaped with a living room and study in one section, and the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom in the other. Utzon described the arrangement of the houses as "flowers on the branch of a cherry tree, each turning towards the sun."
As a result of the success of the Kingo Houses, Dansk Samvirke
, an organization catering to the well-being of Danish citizens who have worked for long periods abroad, invited Utzon to develop a housing estate where pensioners returning to Denmark could live together and share their experiences. Utzon helped to find a suitable site in Fredensborg, for which he developed plans allowing each house to have a view over a green slope. Partly inspired by housing in Beijing's Forbidden City
, the complex consists of 47 courtyard homes and 30 terraced houses as well as a central building with a restaurant, meeting rooms and nine guest rooms. The homes are all located around a square in groups of three, each with an entrance from the square. As the houses are on a slope, they all benefit from plenty of light, especially as they face either south-east or south-west. They give a general impression of openness, which is enhanced by their comparatively large courtyard gardens, even if the houses are protected from the eyes of curious outsiders. This all contributes to a feeling of security and peacefulness.
The complex was completed in 1963 to wide acclaim.
approach to modern housing exerted a considerable influence on subsequent developments. In the Copenhagen area alone, his influence can be seen in Carl R. Frederiksen's Ved Stamedammen in Usserød
, Bertel Udsen's Rækkehusbebyggelse in Øverød
, and Henrik Iversen's Carlsmindeparken in Søllerød
. More recently, Utzon's L-shape floor plan in combination with a small courtyard has been an inspiration for Bjarke Ingels Group
's Mountain Dwellings
in Ørestad
, Copenhagen.
or Helsingør in less than 20 minutes and Copenhagen is only about 40 minutes away by car. They are also able to enjoy the facilities of the central building which houses a library and a restaurant which offers good meals at reasonable prices. The walls are decorated with souvenirs and artwork the pensioners have brought back from as far away as Iran, South America or Sri Lanka. The annual rental also appears low in comparison with commercial rates: some DKK 40,000 for 73 square metres or DKK 76,000 for 130 square metres.
Fredensborg
Fredensborg is a railway town with a population of 8,377 located in Fredensborg Municipality, Denmark at the railroad between Hillerød and Helsingør....
in the north of Zealand, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The houses were designed by Jørn Utzon
Jørn Utzon
Jørn Oberg Utzon, , AC was a Danish architect, most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime...
for Danes who have worked for long periods abroad.
History and architecture
The Fredensborg Houses followed Utzon's first major housing project, the Kingo HousesKingo Houses
Kingo Houses is a housing development designed by architect Jørn Utzon in Helsingor, Denmark. The development consists of 63 L-shaped houses based upon the design of traditional Danish farmhouses with central courtyards and that of Chinese and Islamic dwellings....
in nearby Helsingør. The 63 units were based on a competition project Utzon had developed for the south of Sweden in 1953, inspired by traditional Danish farmhouses set around a central courtyard and Chinese architecture, in which the houses open out onto a central court but are protected from the surroundings by their outer wall. The development was based on Utzon's additive approach
Additive Architecture
Additive Architecture is an approach used by Danish architect Jørn Utzon to describe his development of architectural projects on the basis of growth patterns in nature....
, starting modestly with one unit and proceeding from there, taking into account the lie of the land and the surroundings. Each unit was L-shaped with a living room and study in one section, and the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom in the other. Utzon described the arrangement of the houses as "flowers on the branch of a cherry tree, each turning towards the sun."
As a result of the success of the Kingo Houses, Dansk Samvirke
Danes Worldwide
Danes Worldwide, originally known as Dansk Samvirke, is an organisation which represents Danes who live abroad for personal or career reasons. Its activities include educational programmes, local networking around the world, an annual meet-up at Kronborg Castle, and participation in the public...
, an organization catering to the well-being of Danish citizens who have worked for long periods abroad, invited Utzon to develop a housing estate where pensioners returning to Denmark could live together and share their experiences. Utzon helped to find a suitable site in Fredensborg, for which he developed plans allowing each house to have a view over a green slope. Partly inspired by housing in Beijing's Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
, the complex consists of 47 courtyard homes and 30 terraced houses as well as a central building with a restaurant, meeting rooms and nine guest rooms. The homes are all located around a square in groups of three, each with an entrance from the square. As the houses are on a slope, they all benefit from plenty of light, especially as they face either south-east or south-west. They give a general impression of openness, which is enhanced by their comparatively large courtyard gardens, even if the houses are protected from the eyes of curious outsiders. This all contributes to a feeling of security and peacefulness.
The complex was completed in 1963 to wide acclaim.
Subsequent influence
Utzon's additive architectureAdditive Architecture
Additive Architecture is an approach used by Danish architect Jørn Utzon to describe his development of architectural projects on the basis of growth patterns in nature....
approach to modern housing exerted a considerable influence on subsequent developments. In the Copenhagen area alone, his influence can be seen in Carl R. Frederiksen's Ved Stamedammen in Usserød
Hørsholm
Hørsholm Kommune is a municipality in the Copenhagen Capital Region in the northern part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 31 km², and has a total population of 24,197...
, Bertel Udsen's Rækkehusbebyggelse in Øverød
Øverød
Øverød is a neighborhood in Holte in the Copenhagen Metropolitan area. The district belongs to Rudersdal Municipality and is situated east of Via Regia and Rude Forest and north of Lake Søllerød. Øverød was originally an ancient village with its own city festival, but today Øverød is agglomerated...
, and Henrik Iversen's Carlsmindeparken in Søllerød
Søllerød
Until January 1, 2007, Søllerød was a municipality in Copenhagen County on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 39.77 km², and had a total population of 31,920...
. More recently, Utzon's L-shape floor plan in combination with a small courtyard has been an inspiration for Bjarke Ingels Group
Bjarke Ingels Group
Bjarke Ingels Group, often referred to as BIG, is an international architectural firm founded in 2005 by Bjarke Ingels in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2010 it opened a branch office in New York City...
's Mountain Dwellings
Mountain Dwellings
Mountain Dwellings is an award-winning building in the Ørestad district of Copenhagen, Denmark, consisting of apartments above a multi-storey car park. The building is designed by Danish architectural practice Bjarke Ingels Group...
in Ørestad
Ørestad
Ørestad is a developing city area in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the island of Amager. It is expected that 20,000 people will live in Ørestad, 20,000 will study, and 80,000 people will be employed in the area...
, Copenhagen.
Fredensborg Houses today
As intended, the houses are occupied by Danes returning after a long career abroad, many having worked in the diplomatic corps. Although Fredensborg is just a small town, they seem to enjoy living in the area. They are able to get to HillerødHillerød
Hillerød Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden . The municipality covers an area of 191 km² , and has a total population of 46,568...
or Helsingør in less than 20 minutes and Copenhagen is only about 40 minutes away by car. They are also able to enjoy the facilities of the central building which houses a library and a restaurant which offers good meals at reasonable prices. The walls are decorated with souvenirs and artwork the pensioners have brought back from as far away as Iran, South America or Sri Lanka. The annual rental also appears low in comparison with commercial rates: some DKK 40,000 for 73 square metres or DKK 76,000 for 130 square metres.
Literature
- Jørn Utzon, Logbook Volume 1: The Courtyard Houses, Blondal, Copenhagen, 2004, 180 pages. ISBN 8791567017
- Tobias Faber, Jørn Utzon, Houses in Fredensborg, Berlin, Ernst & Sohn, 1991, 57 pages. ISBN 3433027021