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3XN
The Blue Planet
Copenhagen, Denmark
Inspired by the whirl streams of the sea, shoals of fish, and swirling starlings turning the sky black, the Blue Planet is shaped as a great whirlpool.
Photo courtesy 3XN
Raised a few meters above the terrain, overlooking the Øresund strait, the whirl-shaped building connects land and sea, drawing both the great outdoors and visitors inside.
Photo courtesy 3XN
A flat surface of water creates a sense of distance between you and The Blue Planet, letting the building stand out strongly and reflected in what is, both outside and inside, its focal element – water.
Photo courtesy 3XN
The first and longest of the whirlpool’s arms connects the building to the landscape. The promenade carries you across the water, then dives down to experience the water at eye level.
The other arm of the whirlpool unfolds a cantilevered wall which provides shelter from the wind and the weather.
Photo: Adam Mørk
All the lines of the building converge towards the Round Room, the center of navigation, from which the different parts are “whirled” in the slightly curved sequence of rooms. Here visitors choose which river, lake or ocean to explore.
Looking upwards, through the glass roof, that is also the bottom of the pool, you feel you a part of the aquarium. Sunlight is being reflected through the pool water, forming flickering, shimmering sunspots on the floor and walls.
Photo courtesy 3XN
Photo courtesy 3XN
Like watery currents, the building is not static – the movement continues into the future by virtue of always allowing possible extensions to add more, simply by letting the lines of the whirlpool grow further out.
Drawing courtesy 3XN
Site Plan
Drawing courtesy 3XN
Plan
Drawing courtesy 3XN
Section
Drawing courtesy 3XN
Section
Total area: 9.000 square meters
Estimated completion: 2013.
3XN won 1st prize in the invited competition.
Client: Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority
Architect: 3XN
3XN arcspace features
August 18, 2008