The new office building designed by Sleth architects is located in the area which is currently transforming the newest cultural district in the city of Aarhus. The process of reclaiming and converting this area, once dedicated solely to industrial activity, is expressed through this work of architecture which is grounded on the site of a previous building and which rises from the existing foundations.
The treatment on the façade front is the characterizing element that makes this new work iconic and contributes to signaling its powerful presence as part of the Danish city’s urban fabric.
The side and top section of the building, which are made of concrete, have undergone a significant alteration.
They appear as blocks in which unusual slits and irregular shapes can be seen and which in addition to being a decorative motif, sometimes create openings through the material. The ranks of solid brick buildings contrast with the transparency and porosity of this intervention which opens outwardly completely on one side thanks to a glass front while the other side reveals a long staircase that rises diagonally along the whole façade.
The spaces on the ground floor which are home to the most public functions have been generated through differences in altitude and ground level, resulting in terraces and places for a break. They create a true shared space intended to act as a renewed connective fabric with the neighbourhood.
PROJECT Sonnesgade 11 Office Building
ARCHITECT Sleth
LOCATION Aarhus, Denmark
YEAR 2016
PHOTO Rasmus Hjortshøj COAST
BIOGRAPHY
SLETH IS AN ARCHITECTURE OFFICE WORKING WITHIN THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE, URBANISM AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN, LED AND OWNED BY ARCHITECTS MAA SØREN LETH AND RASMUS THERKILDSEN. BOTH PARTNERS HAVE EXPERIENCE AS PROJECT LEADERS FOR LARGE URBAN MASTERPLANS AS WELL AS CREATED BUILDINGS. BOTH PARTNERS ARE ACTIVE IN THE ACADEMIC WORLD AS TEACHERS AND LECTURERS.
MAIN PROJECTS
Aarhus K Masterplan, Aarhus, Denmark, ongoing
North Harbour Masterplan, Copenhagen, Denmark, ongoing
Tønder Townhall, Tonder, Denmark, 2016
Silo Plaza, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2016
Valsetorvet, Frederiksværk, Denmark, 2015
Mobile Art Pavilion, Aarhus, Denmark, 2013
Culture House ‘Star’, Aarhus Denmark, 2008
