Article source: Christensen & Co. Architects and Rørbæk og Møller Arkitekter A/S

An ambient Biosphere

The new building for Life Science and Bioengineering is the largest project since the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) was inaugurated in the 1960s. In a respectful yet innovative transformation of the original architecture, the façade of gold-anodized and black-lacquered aluminum is broken into sections with niches and balconies that create a vibrant sense of scale. The building rises from the ground opening up into a warm wooden interior where the atmospheric atrium, the Biosphere, unites researchers from the National Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua), the National Food Institute (DTU Food) and the National Veterinary Institute (DTU Vet). Here daylight flows from large skylights above oak-clad meeting boxes that almost float in mid-air. The oak cladding translates the façade’s golden hue to an interior texture, while the meeting boxes create a wealth of dynamic spaces where the researchers can meet. The building also houses laboratories with a wide range of functions and research facilities, including gigantic saltwater tanks, fish pens and a state-of-the-art ventilation system.  The Biosphere is the winner of 2018 Detail special prize Inside and 2017 Tømrerprisen.

Image Courtesy © Adam Mørk

• Architects: Christensen & Co. Architects and Rørbæk og Møller Arkitekter A/S
• Project: Life Science Bioengineering B202
• Location: Lyngby Campus, Denmark
• Photography: Adam Mørk
• Client: Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
• Collaborators: Schul Landscape Architects, COWI, Norconsult
• Completion Year: 2016

(more…)