8 House. Copenhagen. Denmark by BIG: 8 HOUSE | Copenhagen, Denmark

8 HOUSE is located in Southern Ørestad on the edge of the Copenhagen Canal and with a view of the open spaces of Kalvebod Fælled. It is a big house in the literal sense of the word. A house offering homes in all its bearings for people in all of life’s stages: the young and the old, nuclear families and singles, families that grow and families that become smaller.

8 HOUSE ©Dragor Luftfoto

At the very same spot, the building is penetrated by a 9 meter wide passage that connects the two surrounding city spaces: the park area to the west and the channel area to the east. Instead of dividing the different functions of the building – for both habitation and trades – into separate blocks, the various functions have been spread out horizontally. The apartments are placed at the top while the commercial program unfolds at the base of the building. As a result, the different horizontal layers have achieved a quality of their own: the apartments benefit from the view, sunlight and fresh air, while the office leases merge with life on the street.

8 HOUSE ©Jens-Lindhe

This is our take on creative, experimental architecture, which surprises and calls for a life based on a sense of community. We have actually elevated the shared facilities around the height axis, so that gardens, trees and the system of paths follow the body of the structure all the way to the roof. On the rooftop, eleven stories up, these shared spaces culminate in a combined ‘mountain path’ and rooftop garden. From here, you can enjoy the view of Kalvebod Fælled’s nature resort’, says Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG.