The Silo is one of my favorite works by Cobe Architects. The project was commissioned in 2013 and completed in 2017. The clients for the project were Klaus Kastbjerg and NRE Denmark.

The 17 story silo is a central point of orientation in Copenhagen’s new neighborhood Nordhavn. The building was a former grain silo that was transformed into a residential complex and public facilities, hence the name Silo. The building is 10,000 square meters and holds 39 unique apartments. Although the building is a residential complex, it is also an urban focal point in Copenhagen.

During the construction of the renovated Silo, 2,740 cubic meters of concrete were reused, the equivalent of 380 tons of embedded CO2. The seating and podiums that surround the landscape were created from leftover concrete from windows, doors and decks. The Silo is one of many works from Cobe Architects that focuses on sustainability and lowering the carbon footprint.

Source: https://www.cobe.dk/place/the-silo

In 2014, Cobe Architects entered a competition to be the lead design firm on a new conference center for the multi-million dollar company Adidas. Cobe won the contest and completed the project in 2018.

The building is 15,500 meters squared and is used as a conference center, employee restaurant and showroom. The building forms part of Adidas headquarters in the city of Herzogenaurach, Germany. The moto of the building is “Under One Roof” and Cobe Architects designed the building to fit this moto by allowing the building to be multi-purpose, ultimately allowing for the company to host any and all activities that they need to put on for their athletes, employees and customers.

One very unique aspect of the building is the rhombus shaped roof that covers the whole building. The roof consists of concrete beams weighing 28 tons and measuring 16 meters long each. One third of the roof is covered by skylights, allowing the interior spaces to be flooded with sunlight. The roof is mainly covered with solar panels, which helps add to the sustainability of the building.

Source: https://www.cobe.dk/place/adidas-halftime

In the first blog about Cobe Architects I will give an overview of their firm and describe the approach that they take on each project. Cobe Architects is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Cobe’s mission is to create architecture that shapes the future and aspires to create surroundings that contribute to extraordinary everyday life. The firm focuses on urbanism, landscape, and architecture with a huge emphasis on sustainability. Copenhagen is leading the charge globally in sustainability and Cobe is a large reason for the city’s success. Copenhagen, with the help of Cobe, aim to be the world’s first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025.  Cobe has created many unique landmarks in Copenhagen that are easily recognizable by citizens of Denmark and people from all around the globe. In the next three blogs I will discuss three of Cobe’s extraordinary works.

Source: https://www.cobe.dk/

The Peak is a residential project in Melbourne, Australia, completed in 2018. This affordable and sustainable housing prototype was designed for a local social enterprise that works to prevent youth homelessness. 

The building is only 32.5 square meters/ 350 square feet in size. However, it contains essential facilities such as kitchen, bathroom, laundry, bedroom, and couch spaces. The structure is relocatable. It is also designed to accommodate affordable modular furniture such as IKEA to maximize storage space. 

The building uses sustainably sourced material and the roof carries solar panels. The timber finish in the interior provides a sense of comfort. The high ceiling and the large window allow the room to seem more spacious.

Reference:  https://grimshaw.global/projects/the-peak/

Casa Roca (translates to rock house) is a home located in a residential area outside of Quito, Ecuador, designed by Felipe Escudero. Escudero modeled the home to be “the physical form of a hug.”

It appears that the home offers much in the way of privacy. The majority of its walls are concrete with a few windows. The walls wrap around the occupants with the smooth rounded corners on the front of the house, this, I think, is what the designer means by a “hug.”

The back of the house is open, it flattens out, ditching the rounded edges. With almost the entire interior being exposed, it offers natural light and a view of the surrounding area.

The interior leaves nothing to be desired. With warm tones and natural wood accoutrements, the interior of Casa Roca welcomes you in with its arms open.

Escudero’s body of work is truly impressive, but Casa Roca is my personal favorite.

Source: http://felipeescudero.com/rust/z759d5yom04kranglr0j6kqa25ba2i

Techitos (translates to little roofs) is an industrial building designed by Felipe Escudero for Quesos La Holandesa in Pifo, Ecuador. The building serves both as an office space and a warehouse. The exterior is clean and modern, but it also maintains a traditional feeling as well.

While the outside is nice, I find the interior more interesting. The video below takes you through and around the building:

Like the mountains surrounding it, the profile of Little Roofs has peaks and valleys. The peaks make room for large vaulted ceilings that almost make it feel like a cathedral. But the exposed structural beams adds contrast and makes it feel more modern.

In keeping with the modern aesthetic of the outside, the inside is sharp, clean, and well lit. The large windows allow for natural light and a nice view of the Andes Mountains without compromising privacy.

Although I think the warehouse side is the least flattering part of the building, I still think this is a great design that fits well in its environment.

Source: http://felipeescudero.com/techitos/qtab2uv9pogvxcrlao4p73gnzs06op

Casa Pliegues (translates to House Folds) is a house design proposed by Felipe Escudero to be built in Nayon, Ecuador. The house is only one story, but the floor plan is quite large because it was designed for an older client.

My favorite thing about this house is how the green roof allows it to blend into its environment. While the curved exterior allows for privacy in some areas, the large windows gives the occupants a great view of the environment which adds to its natural connection. The sweeping curves of the exterior adds to its organic feel, but the rectangular shape of the perimeter creates a fitting contrast. Its green roof is accompanied by a lounge area and solar panels. From above you can also see the pool, resembling a pond or lake, in keeping with the houses natural aesthetic.

I think this is a great design because it is modern, but it does not erase its natural surroundings.

Source: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/estudio-felipe-escudero-house-folds-ecuador-11-22-2019/

The AC Hotel Bella Sky Copenhagen, also known as the Bella Sky Comewell Hotel, is a 4-star hotel that sits adjacent to the Bella Convention and Congress Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. This structure boasts being the largest hotel in Scandinavia, featuring 814 rooms. The hotel includes five restaurants, thirty meeting rooms, and an 850 square meter workout area. This hotel is often used for conferences and other important meetings.

This hotel is comprised of two towers that reach up 76.5 meters with a 15-degree inclination on both sides.  The height was reportedly smaller than originally planned due to the hotel’s close proximity to the Copenhagen Airport. 3XN pushed to have the hotel to have an ambiance that simple, functional, and also high quality. The interior of the hotel has banned any synthetic decorations in order to stay true to the natural feel. Materials that were used have natural materials, such as wool carpets to smoked oak and leather found in the decorations.

Rosenberg, Andrew. “Bella Sky Hotel / 3XN Architects.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 26 May 2011, www.archdaily.com/136948/bella-sky-hotel-3xn-architects.

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Royal Arena is an arena that serves multiple purposes, located in Copenhagen Denmark. This arena is used for concert performances, such as The Weeknd and his Starboy tour, as well as different sporting events. This arena has a capacity of around thirteen thousand to up to sixteen thousand individuals. This project broke ground in 2013 and officially opened in 2017. 3XN designed this arena to not only represent the culture that surrounded the area, but also feel like it is part of the neighborhood. The arena was designed to show the balance of urban and rural life, making it seem like it blends in with its surroundings.

The Royal Arena portrays historic Nordic Designs, showcasing the city’s history and art. By making sure that this arena further blends in with the neighborhood, minimalistic approaches were used when constructing this building. Instead of using massive concrete blocks, this structure is comprised of curvy wooden fins and minimalistic Nordic features.

Sagredo, Rayen. “Royal Arena / 3XN + HKS.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 21 Nov. 2017, www.archdaily.com/883844/royal-arena-3xn-plus-hks.

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The Tivoli Concert Hall is a performing arts center located in Tivoli, also known as Tivoli Gardens. This area is a half amusement park and half garden located in Copenhagen, Denmark. This concert hall was originally built in 1956 by Frits Schlegal and Hans Hansen. However, it had major renovations by 3XN in 2005. This concert hall is primarily used by the Tivoli Symphony Orchestra for classical performances, but it is also used by other musicians, musicals, and other types of performances

3XN heavily modernized the concert hall by improving the acoustics in the main PAC as well as improve the orchestra pit below the stage. New extensions were also added to the original building, such as the main entrance with lounges, cafes, and outdoor catering. The building was also improved with a new rehearsal facility, staff facility, restaurant, and conference center. The modernization of this historic concert hall showcases the combination of new and old in this historic city.

Saieh, Nico. “Tivoli Concert Hall / 3XN.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 28 July 2008, www.archdaily.com/4130/tivoli-concert-hall-3xn.

“{{UiState.page.title()}}.” 3xn.Com, 3xn.com/project/tivoli-concert-hall.