Mediaspace

A-team’s 2. prize winning proposal for a new central harbour space and a new media centre in the port of Århus

Address: Pier 1, Århus Havn, DK
Size: 28.000 m2 building/ 30.000 m2 parking
Client: Århus Kommune and Real Dania
Architect: Arkitema and Aart
Landscape: Arkitema og Aart
Engeneer: Cowi og Bascon
Consultants: Danmarks Biblioteksskole, Seismonaut
Award: 2. prize

To ensure the greatest possible openness and flexibility in structuring the contents of the building we have chosen a very simple and robust design principle. A basic structure in the shape of a circular and concentric layout that takes its departure in the conceptual character of the building as a “hinge” between the port and the city.
The openness of the plan towards both the city and the harbour is mirrored in the characteristically sculpted main shape that opens invitingly towards all directions. It has been a vital goal for the project team to create a building that will both communicate with its surroundings and bring the individual in focus. Media space is a place for personal exploration.

In one dramatic sweep the outer crystalline facets of the building embrace the media landscape of the interior. This open and dynamic movement shapes the media space as one big spatial unit under a big roof that peaks in the access area towards the town and the big opening towards the port and the northern bastion.

The building is like a sculpture seen from all sides. A building that sits comfortably by itself and that is shaped to fit with both the grand scale of the port and the smaller and more detailed facades along the Århus creek.
Likewise the interior scale fits both the human scale and the sweeping views. This is not a loud high rise, there is no back side with dull office facades, no ground floor void of activity with only parking and closed off functions – just one big open and extrovert gesture towards the water and the city. A building that will invite you inside to experience.