Schmidt hammer lassen
Encyclopedia
Schmidt hammer lassen architects is an international architectural practice founded in 1986 in Aarhus
, Denmark. It currently has four offices in Aarhus
, Copenhagen
, Oslo
and London
.
The practice has a track record as designers of high-profile cultural buildings; art galleries, educational complexes and libraries. Projects underway include the Amazon Court office building in Prague
, the City of Westminster College
in London, the University of Aberdeen
New Library in Scotland and a number of construction projects and master plans
in China, with a total of approximately one and a half million square metres currently under development.
in Nuuk
, Greenland
, completed in 1997.
The project in Nuuk was followed by first prize in the international competition for the extension of the Danish Royal Library
on the harbourfront in Copenhagen
. Completed in 1999, the library extension, colequally known as the Black Diamond, has become one of the practice’s most known buildings. Also completed in 1999 was the first stage of their DGI Village
sports complex, located on another prominent address right next to the Copenhagen Central Station.
Another major project is the ARoS Art Museum
completed in 2003. After the turn of the millennium, schmidt hammer lassen also started to win its first competitions outside Denmark and in 2007 the practice opened offices in London
and Oslo
.
The schmidt hammer lassen partners are Morten Schmidt, Bjarne Hammer, John F. Lassen, Kim Holst Jensen and Stephen David Willacy. Associated partners are Kasper Heiberg Frandsen, Trine Berthold and Kristian Lars Ahlmark. Bente Damgaard is CEO.
The current product range includes light fixtures for Philips
Lighting, Lampas
and Focus
, indoor furniture Piiroinen and DJOB Montana, outdoor street furniture for Veksoe. Designs include the Flakes chair, the Focus Lighting, Idea Water Fixtures and the Swan Neck. The design department also creates unique pieces such as the sculptural receptions desk at Danfoss
.
The firm also creates interior designs, such as the Bodil Binner Jewellery shop.
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
, Denmark. It currently has four offices in Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The practice has a track record as designers of high-profile cultural buildings; art galleries, educational complexes and libraries. Projects underway include the Amazon Court office building in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, the City of Westminster College
City of Westminster College
City of Westminster College is a further education college located in the borough of Westminster, central London. The College has two centres located in Paddington and Queen's Park...
in London, the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
New Library in Scotland and a number of construction projects and master plans
Strategic planning
Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to determine the direction of the organization, it is necessary to understand its current position and the possible avenues...
in China, with a total of approximately one and a half million square metres currently under development.
History
Schmidt hammer lassen was established in 1986 by Morten Schmidt, Bjarne Hammer and John F. Lassen. The firm had its major breakthrough with the Katuaq Culture CentreKatuaq Culture Centre
Katuaq is a cultural centre in Nuuk, Greenland. It is used for concerts, exhibitions, conferences, and as a cinema. Designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen, it was inaugurated on February 15, 1997.-Building:...
in Nuuk
Nuuk
Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, completed in 1997.
The project in Nuuk was followed by first prize in the international competition for the extension of the Danish Royal Library
Danish Royal Library
The Royal Library in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and university library of University of Copenhagen. It is the largest library in the Nordic countries....
on the harbourfront in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Completed in 1999, the library extension, colequally known as the Black Diamond, has become one of the practice’s most known buildings. Also completed in 1999 was the first stage of their DGI Village
DGI-byen
DGI-byen is a facility that houses various spa facilities, restaurants, hotels, conference facilities, a bowling alley, flexible multi-centres, sports clubs, a superellipse shaped swimming pool and Vandkulturhuset, , located in central Copenhagen, Denmark.DGI-byen is situated within the Meat...
sports complex, located on another prominent address right next to the Copenhagen Central Station.
Another major project is the ARoS Art Museum
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum is an art museum in Aarhus. ARoS is one of the largest art museums in northern Europe, 10 storeys tall with a total of 17,000 m². The museum opened on 8 April 2004 after a construction process that started with Danish architects schmidt hammer lassen winning the design...
completed in 2003. After the turn of the millennium, schmidt hammer lassen also started to win its first competitions outside Denmark and in 2007 the practice opened offices in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.
The schmidt hammer lassen partners are Morten Schmidt, Bjarne Hammer, John F. Lassen, Kim Holst Jensen and Stephen David Willacy. Associated partners are Kasper Heiberg Frandsen, Trine Berthold and Kristian Lars Ahlmark. Bente Damgaard is CEO.
Philosophy
The common denominator underlying the practice’s work is a democratic approach to an architecture which can accommodate modern, open and multifunctional meeting-places.Product design
Schmidt hammer lassen's work also include furniture and product designs, both as an integral part of large-scale architectural projects, such as the Black Diamond and ARoS, and as independent designs. Starting as an intention and ambition to increase the overall quality of architectural projects, schmidt hammer lassen design bow is an independent department working on architecturally related designs and independent products with international manufacturers.The current product range includes light fixtures for Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
Lighting, Lampas
Lampas
Lampas is a type of luxury fabric with a background weft typically in taffeta with supplementary wefts laid on top and forming a design, sometimes also with a "brocading weft". Lampas is typically woven in silk, and often has gold and silver thread enrichment.-History:Lampas weaves were developed...
and Focus
Focus
Focus, FOCUS, or foci may refer to:In science, mathematics or computing:*Focus , selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things...
, indoor furniture Piiroinen and DJOB Montana, outdoor street furniture for Veksoe. Designs include the Flakes chair, the Focus Lighting, Idea Water Fixtures and the Swan Neck. The design department also creates unique pieces such as the sculptural receptions desk at Danfoss
Danfoss
The Danfoss Group is a global producer of components and solutions for refrigeration & air conditioning, heating & water, and motion controls. Danfoss has net sales of €2,600 million and employs approximately 22,000 people worldwide with headquarters in Nordborg, Denmark.Danfoss was founded in...
.
The firm also creates interior designs, such as the Bodil Binner Jewellery shop.
Completed
- Katuaq Culture CentreKatuaq Culture CentreKatuaq is a cultural centre in Nuuk, Greenland. It is used for concerts, exhibitions, conferences, and as a cinema. Designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen, it was inaugurated on February 15, 1997.-Building:...
, NuukNuukNuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
(completed 1997) - NykreditNykreditDating back to 1851, Nykredit is one of Denmark's leading financial services companies with activities ranging from mortgage, retail and investment banking to insurance and fixed income trading and asset management...
Headquarters, Copenhagen, Denmark - DGI VillageDGI-byenDGI-byen is a facility that houses various spa facilities, restaurants, hotels, conference facilities, a bowling alley, flexible multi-centres, sports clubs, a superellipse shaped swimming pool and Vandkulturhuset, , located in central Copenhagen, Denmark.DGI-byen is situated within the Meat...
, Copenhagen, Denmark (completed 1999 & 2009) - Black DiamondBlack Diamond (library)The Black Diamond is a modern waterfront extension to the Royal Danish Library's old building on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. Its quasi-official nickname is a reference to its polished black granite cladding and irregular angles...
, Danish Royal LibraryDanish Royal LibraryThe Royal Library in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and university library of University of Copenhagen. It is the largest library in the Nordic countries....
, Copenhagen, Denmark (completed 1999) - ARoS Aarhus KunstmuseumARoS Aarhus KunstmuseumARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum is an art museum in Aarhus. ARoS is one of the largest art museums in northern Europe, 10 storeys tall with a total of 17,000 m². The museum opened on 8 April 2004 after a construction process that started with Danish architects schmidt hammer lassen winning the design...
, Aarhus, Denmark (completed 2003) - Halmstad Library. Halmstad, Sweden (completed 2006)
- Performers HousePerformers HousePerformers House is a folk high school in Silkeborg, Denmark, specialized in offering programs for young people with a special interest in music, dance and theatre....
, SilkeborgSilkeborgSilkeborg is a city in central Denmark. Located in Silkeborg municipality in Jutland, the city has a population of 42,724 . The development of Silkeborg as a modern city may be traced to the foundation of the paper mill by Michael Drewsen on the Gudenaa in 1844...
, Denmark (completed 2007) - Bryggen Shopping Centre, VejleVejleVejle is a town in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle and Grejs Rivers and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality and the Region of Southern Denmark...
, Denmark (completed 2008) - Malmö District CourtMalmö District CourtMalmö District Court is a law court in Malmö, Sweden whose jurisdiction includes the municipalities of Burlöv, Malmö and Vellinge. Malmö District Court comes under the Court of Appeal for Skåne and Blekinge.-Building:...
, Malmö, Sweden (2009) - Thor Heyerdahl College, LarvikLarvikis a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. Larvik kommune - has about 41 364 inhabitants and covers 530 km2....
, Norway (completed 2009) - Amazon Court, PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic (2010) - City of Westminster CollegeCity of Westminster CollegeCity of Westminster College is a further education college located in the borough of Westminster, central London. The College has two centres located in Paddington and Queen's Park...
, Paddington Green campus London, UK (2011) - The CrystalThe Crystal, CopenhagenThe Crystal is a free-standing, environmentally-friendly and award-winning extension of Nykredit headquarters at the Kalvebod Brygge waterfront in Copenhagen, Denmark...
, Copenhagen (2011)
In progress
- Aberdeen New University LibraryUniversity of AberdeenThe University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, AberdeenAberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(competition win 2006) - Tian Yi Town district, WuxiWuxiWuxi is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... - Straume Masterpla, BergenBergenBergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway (competition win 2006) - Chaucer Buchanan District Centre, SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, UK (competition win 2007) - Lund Hotel and Congress Centre, Lund, Sweden (competition win 2008)
- Holbaek Harbour Masterplan, HolbækHolbækHolbæk is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 27,055 . The city is located in the northeastern part of Region Sjælland, Denmark....
, Denmark (competition win 2008) - EcoBay sustainable masterplan, TallinnTallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
(competition win 2008) - Århus Library and Media House, Århus, Denmark (competition win 2008)
- Creative Industries Quarter , BarkingBarkingBarking is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in East London, England. A retail and commercial centre situated in the west of the borough, it lies east of Charing Cross. Barking was in the historic county of Essex until it was absorbed by Greater London. The area is...
, UK - Hörsaalzentrum Auditorium complex, AachenAachenAachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(competition win 2009) - Konstitucijos Avenue 21 urban complex, VilniusVilniusVilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
(competition win 2009) - Saltkristallerna, HelsingborgHelsingborgHelsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
, Sweden (competition win February 2010)) - International Criminal CourtInternational Criminal CourtThe International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, The HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Netherlands (competition win March 2010, competition 2014) - Hotel complex, MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany (competition win March 2010) - Halifax Central Library, Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada - Malmö Concert Hall and Conference Centre, MalmöMalmöMalmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden (competition win May 2010) - Warsaw Office Tower, WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland (competition win, November 2011)
Awards
- 1997 Nykredit Architecture PrizeNykredit Architecture PrizeThe Nykredit Architecture Prize is the largest Danish architecture prize. Founded by the Nykredit Foundation, it is awarded annually to awarded annually to a person, or group of persons, who have personally, or through their work, made a significant contribution to the building industry in the form...
- 2007 MIPIM AR Future Projects AwardMIPIM AR Future Projects AwardThe MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards is an award program for unbuilt or incomplete projects spanning across eight categories. It is organised and awarded annually by the MIPIM in cooperation with the monthly international magazine Architectural Review...
('residential' category) for Skytthusbugten - 2008 LEAF Award, Grand Prix for Performers House
- 2008 MIPIM AR Future Projects Award ('office' category) for Amazon Court
- 2009 Construction and Investment Journal Award ('Best Office Development') for Amazon Court
- 2009 MIPIM AR Future Projects Award ('mixed use' category) for Holbæk Harbour Masterplan
- 2011 New London Award ('learning' category) for City of Westminster College
- 2011 LEAF AwardLEAF AwardThe Emirates Glass LEAF Awards is an annual international architectural prize. It recognises innovative architectural design that sets the benchmark for the international architectural community of the next generation....
('structural design' category) for The Crystal
Literature
- Marianne Ibler (2007) Global Danish Architecture #2 - Housing. Copenhagen, Denmark: Archipress
- schmidt hammer lassen (1999) The Royal Library - Architectural Images. Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendal
- Forster et al. (2005) 10x10_2. London, UK: Phaidon
- schmidt hammer lassen architects (2008) Outline - architecture by schmidt hammer lassen, Birkhäuser Verlag.
External links
- Official website (requires Flash)