Transformed headquarters is Office Building of the Year 2022
KB32 in Copenhagen has been voted Denmark’s Office Building of the Year 2022. Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter designed the transformed building where Poul Schmidt/Kammeradvokaten and the Danish National Archives are now located. Troldtekt acoustic panels on the ceilings are integral to its industrial design.
KB32 in Copenhagen scooped the prize as Denmark’s Office Building of the Year 2022. The award is sponsored by courses and conferences provider Nohrcon, with a jury and an open vote showcasing the former DSB goods terminal as this year’s winner. Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter designed the project, and the client is Genesta Property Nordic.
Today, the Danish National Archives and Poul Schmidt/Kammeradvokaten are based in KB32 following its comprehensive transformation into a modern office facility with capacity for around one thousand employees.
The other nominees for the award were Omega Company House in north Aarhus and KAB-Huset in south-west Copenhagen.
Original features preserved
Built in 1967, KB32 was formerly known as the ugliest building in Copenhagen. However, the renovation safeguarded its industrial styling and original features, including concrete structures and large windows for plenty of daylight.
Black and white-painted Troldtekt acoustic panels were chosen for the ceilings, fitting in well with the raw styling, and also ensuring comfortable acoustics for the office environments and the conference room, where many people congregate.
“KB32 has so many features and so much history, and we made a clear choice with the developer from the outset to transform it. Everyone loved the idea, which has also been key to our outstanding collaboration on this project,” Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter partner Simon Natanael Svensson comments regarding the award.
That work has now been rewarded with the Office Building of the Year 2022 award. Here is an excerpt from the jury’s citation:
“The transformation of Copenhagen’s ugliest building into a simple, stylish, timeless office building is remarkable. The interiors and exteriors are coordinated into a design that is understated and of high quality, and which still matches the building’s brutalist and industrial architecture – while also allowing it to function as a vibrant, inviting, modern office building.”