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BLOX

BLOX provides a forum for urban living, forges connections between the residents of Copenhagen Harbour and stimulates interest in architecture, design and sustainable urban development through exhibitions, events, business development and new partnerships. BLOX was designed by the Dutch architects OMA and financed by Realdania. It was built and is owned by Realdania By & Byg.

BLOX

With its bridges and squares on the harbour front in Copenhagen, BLOX enriches the urban environment, putting the icing on the cake in the evolution of Copenhagen Harbour from an industrial dockland to a waterfront meeting place. A harbour milieu where local and visitors to the city alike can meet and enjoy life by the water. BLOX has transformed a previously abandoned part of Copenhagen into a lively urban space and meeting place for one and all. Lille Langebro provides excellent travel connections for cyclists and pedestrians. BLOX provides a space for urban living.

BLOX is a national and international gathering place that stimulates interest in architecture, design and sustainable urban development. It does this through exhibitions, events, business development and forging new partnerships with the Danish Architecture Centre and the urban innovation hub BLOXHUB. BLOX welcomes anyone wanting to experience, sense and understand city life and anyone looking to take part in professional networks and professional environments engaged in developing the sustainable cities of the future.

BLOX was financed by Realdania and designed by the internationally recognised Dutch architectural firm OMA. The structure of the building comprises a series of large blocks, from which the building derives its name, BLOX, stacked and staggered to form a structure that is a feast for the senses. It is an iconic, transparent and inspirational building offering views of the entire urban panorama, towards the oldest parts of the city, down towards the waterfront and out towards the harbour entrance.

An example of sustainable urban development and construction

BLOX is part of Realdania's philanthropic work to promote the development of sustainable towns and cities and healthy, efficient and sustainable building and construction. BLOX is a sustainable construction and provides a number of sustainable urban solutions, such as new urban space, travel connections and thoroughfares and a range of indoor and outdoor facilities that inject life into the city and improve the quality of life for Copenhageners and the city's many visitors.

BLOX is a bustling new meeting place on the Copenhagen waterfront between Langebro and the Black Diamond, where you can take in an exhibition at the Danish Architecture Centre, live, play, eat, work out, park and go to work. The wide range of indoor and outdoor activities provided by the building for residents and visitors fills the space in and around BLOX with life around the clock in a part of the harbour area that has hitherto abandoned. The new urban space Bryghuspladsen provides the venue for activities throughout the year, such as music, communal eating, games, running events, exhibitions and much more.

The Lille Langebro cycle and pedestrian bridge at the end of Vester Voldgade, a small bridge over Frederiksholms Kanal and a new passageway under BLOX have created new routes through the area and made BLOX a hub for pedestrians and cyclists in particular. The new travel connections also help to strengthen links between the historic city centre and the harbour area.

The common denominators for many of the activities at BLOX are urban development, construction, architecture and design. BLOX is home to the Danish Architecture Centre, which puts on exciting exhibitions, while BLOXHUB, an interdisciplinary hub for businesses and organisations working within sustainable development of the cities of the future, offers new ways of thinking about architecture, development and an international perspective. BLOXHUB is expected to play significant international role in the global development of high quality solutions for sustainable urban development. Over 300 Danish and foreign players in the sector are members of BLOXHUB.

BLOX is an experimental and sustainable building. BLOX is an exceptionally well-insulated low-energy building, equipped with solar panels, a remote cooling system and digital control of the building’s amenities. The building is built to last for a long time, with a high degree of flexibility. For instance, the permanent parts of the building have an expected lifetime of over 200 years. And with its high ceilings, moveable walls, etc. the building can be adapted to serve new functions in the future.

BLOX was built and is owned by Realdania’s subsidiary Realdania By & Byg and it is part of the company’s work on experimental new buildings.

BLOX seen from the Circular Bridge, Photo credit: Rasmus Hjorsthøj

BLOX seen from the Circular Bridge, Photo credit: Rasmus Hjorsthøj

Year of construction:

2013-2017

Geography:

Copenhagen

Gallery

Watch the video about BLOX here