CPH Arena, Competition
CPH Arena, Competition
Project:
Client:
Site:
Status:
Architect:
Landscape:
Engineer:
Copenhagen Arena
Municipality of Copenhagen and partners
35.000 m2
Competition
MIKKELSEN ARKITEKTER AS, Populous
Schønherr Landskabsarkitekter
Rambøll, Buro Happold
Copenhagen Arena will be Copenhagen's first multi-arena, located in Ørestaden.
The arena's location in an area dominated by a significantly smaller building scale than in the rest of Ørestad poses challenges in terms of the relationship between the building and its surroundings now - and in the future.
In Ørestaden, the buildings have predominantly been designed as large volumes in glass, steel, aluminium and concrete. With the new local plan for the area, Ørestaden is trying something new: a smaller urban scale, with a clear connection to the surrounding green spaces in greater harmony with the traditional Scandinavian city scale. By placing a large structure, like an arena, on this site, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that the building interacts with the surrounding future residential area, and perhaps even inspires its future design, all the while remaining a functional and optimised piece of architecture in its own right.
An Arena is basically a box with a multifunctional inner space. Often the connection to the surroundings is limited to the arrival area and ticketing, but we believe that the Arena should be an integral active part of the surroundings, before and after the surrounding residential area has been built.
In Scandinavia, there is a long tradition of using wood in large structures. From the Danish Viking ships to the Norwegian stave churches, all structures have proven that wooden structures can withstand climatic influences over long periods. Interacting with climate and environmental conditions, Nordic architecture has always strived for simple structures with a high degree of functionality, as a consequence of scarce resources and the need to optimise the use of available materials. Wood is part of the Scandinavian heritage, but also part of the future and the ambition to become increasingly sustainable - an ambition wood can help realise if harvested responsibly and locally.
The incorporation of wood in the building's façade expression will contribute to the Scandinavian heritage, creating a structure that harmonises with the overall design strategy for the area, and achieving that this large building, both at the beginning of the urban development, as well as at the end, can be a player in the development of the urban space and identity.
Scale is an important factor in the design of the facade. By dividing the façade into smaller modules, it corresponds to the scale of the residential buildings, while at the same time making the Arena appear as a singular entity. The facade of the Arena is proposed to be clad with wooden panels, in varied positions. Some in fixed positions, while others are movable to open and close the facade according to the activities inside the building. The panels span approximately six metres and are fixed with brackets at the top, bottom and centre.
The cladding is made of heat-treated wood. The process is a well-known method used by the Vikings for large structures exposed to the harsh Nordic climate. By charring the outside of the wood, it was ensured a longer durability, and it is this concept that is used in the production of Thermowood. The wood is made from slow-growing Nordic pine that has been heated - reducing its natural ability to absorb water. This makes it highly resistant to different weather types. Heat treatment, which can extend the life of the wood by up to several times, achieves incredible durability.
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Copenhagen Arena will be Copenhagen's first multi-purpose arena, located in Ørestad.
The location of the arena in an area dominated by a substantially smaller building scale than in the rest of Ørestad, provides challenges in terms of the relationship between the building and the environment now - and in the future.
In Ørestaden, the buildings have mainly been designed as large volumes of glass, steel, aluminium and concrete. With the new local plan for the area, Ørestaden is trying something new: a smaller urban scale, with a clear link to the surrounding green areas, in greater harmony with the traditional Scandinavian city-scale. By placing a large structure as an arena in this area, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that the building interacts with the surrounding future residential area, and maybe even inspires its future design, while it remains a piece of functional and optimized piece of architecture in its own right.
An Arena is basically a box with a multi-flexible interior space. Often the connection to the environment is limited to the arrival area and ticket area, but we believe that the Arena should be an integral active part of the surroundings before and after the surrounding residential area has been built.
In Scandinavia, there is a long tradition of using wood in large structures. From the Danish Viking ships to the Norwegian stave churches, all structures that have proven that wooden structures can withstand climate impacts over long periods. In interaction with the climate and environmental conditions, Nordic architecture have always strived for simple structures with a high degree of functionality, as a consequence of scarce resources and the need to optimize the use of available materials. Wood is part of the Scandinavian heritage, but also part of the future and the ambition to become increasingly sustainable - an ambition wood could help to realize, if harvested responsibly and locally.
The incorporation of wood in the building's facade expression will contribute to the Scandinavian heritage. It will create a structure that is consistent with the overall design strategy for the area, and achieve that this great building, both at the beginning of the urban development, as well as in the end, may be included as a fellow player in the development of the urban space and identity.
Scale is an important factor in the design of the facade. By dividing the facade into smaller modules, it corresponds with the scale the residential properties are going to have, and at the same time, the Arena appears as a singular unit. The arena facade is proposed to be wood paneled, in varied positions. Some in fixed positions, while others are moving to open and close the facade depending on the activities inside the building. The panels are spanning about six meters and are secured with fittings in the top, bottom and in the middle.
The liner is made of heat-treated wood. The process is a well-known method used by the Vikings at large constructions that were exposed to the Nordic harsh climate impacts. By charring of the outside of the tree, it was insured a longer durability, and it is the concept that is used in the production of Thermowood. The tree is made of slow-growing northern pine, which has been heated - and thereby reduced its natural ability to absorb water. This makes it very resistant to various weather types. Heat treatment that can extend the tree's life by up to several times for exceptional durability.