Aller Medier, headquarters, Copenhagen

The Aller building expresses Aller Media’s vision of a building “that strengthens the diversity of the company with a flexible, dynamic and innovative work environment. A building that increases staff pride and concurrently creates an innovative structure founded on the historical sense of community that secures Aller’s future”.

Categories

  • Corporate
  • Workplace design

Location

Copenhagen, Denmark

Year

2009

Status

Completed

Size

18,000 m² (10,000 m² parking)

Client(s)

Carl Aller Establishment A/S (CAE)

Team

E. Pihl & Søn, Søren Jensen, EKJ, Schønherr

A Tailormade Multi-media Building

The multimedia building on Havneholmen is tailored from the inside out to fit the needs of its island location and users, CAE and Aller Media. With its gently curved triangular form, the building delineates the point of Havneholmen that projects out into The Copenhagen harbor, and is surrounded by water on both sides. CAE and Aller Media, which previously had their main address in Valby, chose to consolidate its many activities and publications in the new multimedia headquarters, to create an efficient and diverse work environment. The building itself has created value for Aller Media's brand and marketing activities, and the atrium is often used for events. The building has been meticulously designed from the overall architectural lines down to the detailed interior design, leading the City of Copenhagen’s award committee to call the building a "gesamtkunstverk" (work of art).

The Aller Building is featured as an example of 'value creating architecture' in the publication 'Architecture that Creates Value' (pages 12-14) prepared by The Danish Architecture Center for The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces and Realdania, published December 2016.

Likewise, The Danish Association of Architectural Firms features The Aller Building in their collection of value creating architecture (in Danish).

Read more about the Aller building.

Also read the description of the multi-media building in Global Danish Architecture.

Contact:
Steen Enrico Andersen
+ 45 4036 6412
sea@plh.dk

The Aller Building was awarded by The City of Copenhagen in 2009: “The project makes a statement that is very difficult to ignore. Like the cutting edge of a knife, the dramatic presence of the building on the corner has an artistic power that is exceedingly convincing. The building is a ”Gesamtkunstwerk” (work of art) – everything has been carefully con­sidered. Even the new energy and environmental requirements have been addressed – everything has been functionally developed. The atmosphere within offices and work areas is soft, inviting and warm – very compelling and of an extremely high quality. The building exudes Scandi­navian sensuality. It is situated perfectly with all visual lines coming together on the ground plan. It stands apart as one the most exciting buildings in the area.”

Northern Shades

A large atrium extends right through the center of the building like a ravine with soft edges. It pulls daylight so far into the building that on bright days there is no need for artificial lighting during daytime. The floor slabs withdraw further and further back as you move up the building, creating a bright, terraced room that opens towards the harbor and the heavens. The colors and materials are inspired by the Nordic land­scape; the fells, the forest, the sea, the moor in the changing of seasons. Materials and surfaces are restrained in sober colours that submit to the predominant visual lines and establish a calm framework for daily life in the editorial groups. The undulating balustrades towards the atrium are lined with oak slats in a warm glow, highlighted by soft, diffuse lighting. The stairs and walkways across the atrium have a cool and airy expression of green and white hues in the glass surfaces.

Integrated Workplace Design

Aller headquarters is designed for Aller Media's users from an activity-based and relatively open interior design concept that corresponds to the organizations working methods. At the same time, the building's interior is so flexible that the layout can change in response to Aller’s dynamic development - both as an organization and media producer. The comprehensive, interactive user process which PLH conducted as part of workplace design program, has provided the foundation for the building’s differentiated interior design, with varied types of workspace that meet the needs of individual editorial groups.

Integrated art

A competition was held for the commissioning of a work of art that could be placed in the central atrium. It was won by the Swedish artists, Bigert & Bergström with “Tomorrows Weather ". The artwork is an installation of lights that simulate atmospheric molecules and change color in accordance with the next day’s weather forecast, relayed directly from DMI (The Bureau of Meteorology). The spiral-shaped installation stretches over several floors where the large, glazed atrium façade faces the water. Here it is visible from inside and outside, so that from Island Brygge and Bryggebroen one can experience the weather and Aller building’s changing color scale.

If we in 10 years time were to measure the effect [of the value of the building], if it would be possible, then I think we would see that it has been worth all the money.


- Executive Board Member, Aller Media

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