The Crystal (
Danish: Krystallen) is a free-standing,
environmentally friendly
Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that c ...
extension of
Nykredit
Nykredit () is a Danish financial service company. Its activities range from mortgages, retail and investment banking to insurance, leasing and asset management.
, Nykredit Group was the largest lender in Denmark and one of the major private bon ...
headquarters at the Kalvebod Brygge waterfront in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. Designed by
Schmidt Hammer Lassen
Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL) is an international architectural firm founded by a group of Danish architects in 1986 in Aarhus, Denmark. It has offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark, and Shanghai, China. In 2018, SHL became part of global arc ...
, it takes its name from its light, crystalline form which rests on only a single point and a single line, allowing for unhindered views as well as passage underneath the building.
Design
Sustainability
The building has a low energy-consumption of only 70 kWh per sqm, or 25 per cent less than the requirements of the existing energy legislation in Denmark. This is obtained with the highly effective insulating triple-layered inner glass façade which has a U-value of only 0.7 Wh per sqm. The roof is covered with photovoltaic panels generating 80,000 kWh per year.
Plaza
The plaza next to the building is designed by
Stig L. Andersson in collaboration with Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Its light-coloured slate paving continues into the ground floor of the building, integrating the exterior and interior spaces. The plaza is dominated by a waterfeature, Denmark's largest fountain, consisting of a circular water basin and 2,000 valves arranged in long straight lines which spray water in varying heights of up to 2.5 metres. The water feature is illuminated at night. There are benches and a single row of trees along one side of the space.
Awards
* 2011
LEAF Award
The ABB LEAF Awards is an annual international architectural prize. It recognises innovative architectural design that sets the benchmark for the international architectural community of the next generation.
The LEAF Awards program is operated by ...
('structural design' category)
Gallery
Image:The Crystal, Copenhagen00.jpg,
Image:The Crystal (Nykredit) by night.jpg,
References
External links
Under Krystallen, Architectural overview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crystal, Copenhagen
Office buildings completed in 2011
Office buildings in Copenhagen
Schmidt Hammer Lassen buildings
2010s architecture in Denmark