Fjordenhus: Another prime example of Scandinavian Modern Architecture in the water

Last week for my first post in Architecture+Design Community I spoke about the Oslo Opera House which stands like an iceberg at the edge of the Oslo Fjord. You can read my post here

If you read it, you might remember that one of the most interesting features in the foyer of this Scandinavian Architectural master piece is the Illuminated Wall by Icelandic/Danish Artist Olafur Eliasson.

So, turns out Olafur Eliasson is not just a talented Artist, he’s also a talented Architect himself and today I will take you to another Fjord. We’re going to Denmark, in the small town of Vejle where, in the middle of it's fjord stands like an island only accessible by a pedestrian bridge , the first building ever designed by Olafur Eliasson: Fjordenhus (literally Fjord House)

The Fjordenhus was designed and built to hold the Headquarters of Kirk Kapital, the Kirk Johansen family owned Investment company, descendants of the founder of the most famous Danish toy company, you got it: LEGO. Although a private building, the main floor is accessible to the public, and I believe there’s even some tours organized.

This modern building, built in traditional danish brick rises out of the water like an island and is only accessible by a metal footbridge. Once you cross it you will arrive at the middle of a floating double-height Rotonda, surrounded by 4 cylindrical structures.

Like in the Oslo Opera House, this building is characterized by soft curved lines, an immense attention to detail and an interesting choice natural materials. They've used traditional danish brick that will remind you of the famous Copenhagen Brick Houses but if you look closer you will see that they have been used in an untraditional way, they are in multiple colours, like the LEGO bricks and multiple sizes and shapes some of them are square and some even round.

From here you can contemplate two of Olafur Eliasson's own sculptures if you look up or if you prefer you can walk to the water edge to enjoy breathtaking views of the town and the Water with the Vejle Fjord Bridge at a distance.

One of the many sculptures by Olafur Eliasson himself present on this building

The upper floors of the building as mentioned before are private. When I visited in February there wasn't any tours available so I was't able to visit any further but I was so amazed by it that I decided to do a bit of research online and see if there was any available images and details.

One of the many Staircases on the private quarters of this building. Photo Credit: ANDERS SUNE BERG

The office spaces on the building’s first, second, and third floors feature several custom-made furniture pieces As expected natural wood is the dominant material. And guess who designed most of the furniture as well? Olafur Eliasson and Studio Olafur Eliasson. Such a talented Artist, Architect and Furniture designer don't you think?

Boardroom furniture also designed by Olafur Eliasson. Photo Credit: ANDERS SUNE BERG

I found two great sources of information about this amazing building for those of you that want to know a bit more.

fjordenhus.dk is the official website and includes great images and videos of the project

Olafur Eliasson Photo Gallery Includes an amazing selection of images of this unique building.

Although this Building is smaller and not as well known as the Oslo Opera House it isn't less characteristic of the Scandinavian Modern Architecture. And considering that it's the Architect's first project we can only be impressed and looking forward to see his next projects.

Thanks for your attention, please let me know what you think about the Fjordenhus. Also I'm not an Architect but I'm passionate about Scandinavian Architecture and design, If there is any building you think I should visit and share my impressions with you feel free to leave me a comment below.

Looking forward to read all your posts as well. See you all on the Hive!

#Hive #ScandinavianDesign #Architecture #Denmark #Vejle #Fjordenhus #Scandimodern #Ecency #Travel #Art