Dorte Mandrup Architects - Neighbourhood Center

Dorte Mandrup Architects
Neighbourhood Center
Copenhagen, Denmark

The renovation and expansion of the Neighbourhood Center was part of a larger neighbourhood renewal plan. The main objective was to connect the building's many different activities and, at the same time, ensure an openness and accessibility for the public.

Photo: Jens Lindhe

Today the neighbourhood Center, located in an industrial building from 1880, houses a local library and a cafŽ on the ground floor, and office facilities on the upper floors. A new addition, with a common meeting hall, has been added to the Center.

Photo: Jens Lindhe

The structural changes to the existing building consisted primarily of the partial removal of the existing floor decks, column supported steel beams with wooden floors, in order to create a new three-story foyer space running the length of the building.
The horizontal slab effect in the building's supporting structure, which the deck contributed to, was recreated by a steel truss system mounted on the facade.
As a supplementary support to the construction a row of larch wood twin columns will be inserted at a later date.

Photo: Jens Lindhe

The foyer houses the library lending area and a cafŽ as well as a free-standing main stairway to the first and second floors. The interior walls are sided with maple veneer panels.
On the upper floors French doors, with glass panels as railings, opens the offices to the foyer. When the foyer space is used as a cafŽ or for other arrangements the openings can be closed with hinged maple panels. The library lending area, the entrances and the bar area can also be closed-off with maple folding doors.

On the ground floor the original window bays are clad in larch wood to create "quiet places" in the often crowded foyer. The flooring is pine planks, the exposed steel columns and beams are covered with ferro-cement fireproofing.

The rest of the building was renovated in a very simple way. The stucco outer walls were treated with silicate paint and the floor beams were left visible under the ceilings.
The former asphalt and concrete floors were removed and the original industrial sub-flooring of narrow pine planks was planed and oil-treated. The partitions in the cell offices are painted plasterboard.

Photo: Jens Lindhe

The addition was conceived as a "children's treehouse" on trunks of oblique concrete columns.
The free-standing glass-walled structure, housing a two-story meeting hall, stands slightly turned between the two tall ivy-covered neighbouring buildings.

Photo: Jens Lindhe

The construction of the exposed framework of plywood, covered with thermal glazing panels in pine frames, appears like an oversized shelving system that defines the borders of the space and, at the same time, creates a soft transition between the interior and exterior.
The addition is connected to the first floor of the main building by a closed footbridge which allows access without regard for the library's opening hours.

Drawing courtesy Dorte Mandrup Architects
Ground Floor Plan

Drawing courtesy Dorte Mandrup Architects
Elevation

Completed: 2001

Client: The City of Copenhagen
Architect: Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter Aps, Arkitekter MAA, PAR
Project team:
Dorte Mandrup-Poulsen
Jimmy Richter Lassen
Anders Brink Petersen
Søren Schødt
Christina Kvisthøj
Jens Bonnesen.
Landscape Architects:
Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter Aps
Henrik Jørgensen Landskabsarkitekter

February 17, 2003

Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter arcspace features





				Features
		Dorte Mandrup Architects Neighbourhood Center Copenhagen, Denmark The renovation and expansion of the Neighbourhood Center was part of a larger neighbourhood renewal plan. The main objective was to connect the building's many different activities and, at the same time, ensure an openness and accessibility for the public. Photo: Jens Lindhe Today the neighbourhood Center, located in an industrial building from 1880, houses a local library and a cafŽ on the ground floor, and office facilities on the upper floors. A new addition, with a common meeting hall, has been added to the Center. Photo: Jens Lindhe The structural changes to the existing building consisted primarily of the partial removal of the existing floor decks, column supported steel beams with wooden floors, in order to create a new three-story foyer space running the length of the building. The horizontal slab effect in the building's supporting structure, which the deck contributed to, was recreated by a steel truss system mounted on the facade. As a supplementary support to the construction a row of larch wood twin columns will be inserted at a later date. Photo: Jens Lindhe The foyer houses the library lending area and a cafŽ as well as a free-standing main stairway to the first and second floors. The interior walls are sided with maple veneer panels. On the upper floors French doors, with glass panels as railings, opens the offices to the foyer. When the foyer space is used as a cafŽ or for other arrangements the openings can be closed with hinged maple panels. The library lending area, the entrances and the bar area can also be closed-off with maple folding doors. On the ground floor the original window bays are clad in larch wood to create "quiet places" in the often crowded foyer. The flooring is pine planks, the exposed steel columns and beams are covered with ferro-cement fireproofing. The rest of the building was renovated in a very simple way. The stucco outer walls were treated with silicate paint and the floor beams were left visible under the ceilings. The former asphalt and concrete floors were removed and the original industrial sub-flooring of narrow pine planks was planed and oil-treated. The partitions in the cell offices are painted plasterboard. Photo: Jens Lindhe Photo: Jens Lindhe The addition was conceived as a "children's treehouse" on trunks of oblique concrete columns. The free-standing glass-walled structure, housing a two-story meeting hall, stands slightly turned between the two tall ivy-covered neighbouring buildings. Photo: Jens Lindhe Photo: Jens Lindhe The construction of the exposed framework of plywood, covered with thermal glazing panels in pine frames, appears like an oversized shelving system that defines the borders of the space and, at the same time, creates a soft transition between the interior and exterior. The addition is connected to the first floor of the main building by a closed footbridge which allows access without regard for the library's opening hours. Drawing courtesy Dorte Mandrup Architects Ground Floor Plan Drawing courtesy Dorte Mandrup Architects Elevation Drawing courtesy Dorte Mandrup Architects Elevation Completed: 2001 Client: The City of Copenhagen Architect: Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter Aps, Arkitekter MAA, PAR Project team: Dorte Mandrup-Poulsen Jimmy Richter Lassen Anders Brink Petersen Søren Schødt Christina Kvisthøj Jens Bonnesen. Landscape Architects: Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter Aps Henrik Jørgensen Landskabsarkitekter February 17, 2003 Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter arcspace features