Learning from Danish Functionalism DDiA10 - old.karch.dk

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011

Learning from Danish Functionalism - in
Search of a Tectonic Building Culture in
Architectural Detailing

Anne Beim, Professor/PhD1 & Ulrik Stylsvig Madsen, Assistant
Professor/PhD2

ABSTRACT
This paper studies how tectonic building culture of the past may inform
present day architectural details. In order to frame the study, central
theoretical positions and tectonic aspects of details and detailing are
unfolded. This is done by presenting various definitions that seem
sufficient when speaking of architectural details and construction
design. The second part of the paper forms an exploration into different
tectonic approaches to detailing. For this, three building projects
designed by prominent Danish architectural offices have been selected.
The projects are multi-storey housing situated in the center or nearby
center of Copenhagen. They are all based on or referring to traditional
Danish masonry construction: Vestersøhus I-II (1935-39); Charlottehaven,
(2001) and Æblelunden, (2009). The final part of the paper forms a
discussion on – if or how the Danish tradition of careful detailing in
architecture – identified as an outcome of tectonic consideration – can
survive the future challenges provided by the industrialized construction
industry. In other words, if Danish architects can hold on to the art and
craft of contextual detailing and transform this cultivated skill into
robust contemporary architectural edifice.
KEYWORDS
Tectonic, building culture, Danish functionalism, Masonry construction
1 INTRODUCTION
Three questions have generated the theme of this paper: First, how do details
inform the architectural design as a whole? Secondly, in which way may a tectonic
building culture of the past inspire present day construction details – in this
case, details found in building envelopes made of masonry construction?
And finally, can we talk about architectural details that are rooted in specific
tectonic building cultures, in a modern setting of cultural globalization where
construction technologies are increasingly standardized due to industrialized
manufacturing and international codes and norms?
The paper forms an investigation into these questions, which divides it into three
parts. The first part presents central theoretical positions and the tectonic
aspect of details and detailing by unfolding various definitions that seem
sufficient when speaking of architectural details and construction design. Whereas
the second part; identifies particular tectonic approaches to the question of
detailing through three case studies. These are multi-storey housing blocks
situated in the centre or nearby centre of Copenhagen and they are all based on or
referring to traditional Danish masonry construction. Finally, the third part
unfolds a discussion on how contemporary construction industry tends to determine
the design of building components in construction.
In light of the final discussion, the ‘essence of material nature’ or ‘honest
construction design and detailing’ - which has been considered strong architectural
virtues since the 1930’ies among Danish architects - seems displaced. As such, the
intention of the paper is to analyze and discuss how the Danish tradition for
proper detailing in architecture – identified as an outcome of tectonic

1 The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation - School of Architecture,
Phillip de Langes Allé 10, DK- 1435 Copenhagen C, Denmark, [email protected]
2 The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation - School of Architecture,
Phillip de Langes Allé 10, DK- 1435 Copenhagen C, Denmark, [email protected]

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011

consideration – can survive the future challenges provided by the construction
industry. In other words if Danish architects can hold on to the art and craft of
contextual detailing and transform this cultivated skill into robust contemporary
architectural edifice.
* Tectonic consideration is here defined as the use of natural materials, simple
construction design, reading of the site and context, and honest architectural
expression.

1.1 The tectonic aspect of details in architecture

Details play a central role to our immediate experience of architecture. We usually
get in direct physical contact with this small scale part of the building. We can
touch the finished materials and analyze the design features - thus details provide
us with valuable information about the architectural scheme as a whole. One could
claim that the architectural skill and knowledge is most visible in the detailing
of a building. According to van Berkel & Bos (1993), details can supply new
insights and discoveries long after the idiomatic treatment of the whole has been
exhausted. They claim that details determine the essence and vitality of the
building. Also they emphasize that on the contrary, inauthentic and poor details
can overrule the meaning of the building and turn it into an empty statement, out
of time or place.

In common dictionaries, the detail is defined as ‘an individual fact or item’ or as
'a small part of a whole', (Oxford Dictionary of English, 2005). However, this
understanding does not seem fully adequate when speaking of architecture. In his
essay The Tell-the-Tale-Detail the American architect, Marco Frascari argues that
this definition produces a contradiction in architecture, since a column is both a
whole as well as a detail. Frascari (1984) advocates that: “Details can be material
joints as in the case of the capital, which constitutes a connection between the
column and the architrave, or formal joints as in the case of the portal, which
constitutes the connection between an internal and external space. They are
indirect and direct expressions of the structure and the use of buildings.”
Frascari locates the source of architectural meaning in construction and privileges
the joint – the original detail – as the tectonic site for architectural innovation
and invention. This reading follows the theories of the Italian Renaissance
architect, Leon Battista Alberti (Rykwert, et al. (1988/1999). When Alberti wrote
about small building units, he did not apply the French term, détail, which is a
fairly young term from the 17th century (Oxford Dictionary of English, 2005). He
used the Latin term compartition, which he said; “holds all the power of invention
and all the skill and experience in the art of building". Alberti defines
compartition as, "the process of dividing up the site into yet smaller units, so
that the building may be considered as being made up by smaller close-fitting
buildings, joined together like the members of a whole body.” To develop the
definitions of Frascari and Alberti further one could turn to Steven Holl's
perception of details, which he locates within the haptic realm through the
sensation of touch. Steven Holl (1994) says: "When the materiality of the details
forming an architectural space become evident, the haptic realm is opened up.
Sensory experience is intensified; the psychological dimensions are engaged."

Per se, well designed architectural details tell us the story of their making and
meaning and their contextual setting - involving both physical and imaginary
dimensions of architectural experience. As small contextual sites or units of
signification, they reveal the intentions of the designing architect. Concluding
one could claim that if the building structure refers to ‘the syntax’ of an
architectural language, then the details hold narrative worlds adding multiple
tales to the story of the building.

2 CASE STUDIES

In order to illustrate different ways of thinking or narrative approaches to the
question of detailing, three case studies have been selected. These are:
Vestersøhus I-II (1935-39) by the Architects Kay Fisker and C.F. Møller;
Charlottehaven, (2001), Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects and Æblelunden/The Apple
Orchard, (2009), by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten. These cases characterize a broad range
of construction prototypes formed by different technological time frames. Also, the
architects represent some of the most prominent interpreters of a Danish design
tradition in architectural detailing and have in each their own way challenged
existing construction design. In these projects, they have in particular focused on
details related to masonry constructions. In order to narrow the focus on the topic

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011
of architectural details only few significant design features and construction
details of the facades are dealt with.

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011
2.1 Vestersøhus I-II, (1935-39): Architects Kay Fisker & C. F. Møller
In the closing paragraph of the article: The Functional Tradition, Kay Fisker
celebrates what he calls: 'Modest, sound and natural houses'. The article discusses
regionalism in American architecture – relating it to European - and to
Scandinavian architecture in particular. Fisker calls attention to the work of
Asplund and Aalto and he concludes: "I don’t know any houses that in any more
beautiful way carry on the functional tradition. There is a natural, clear
unification about this architecture, which due to the existing regional conditions
lead to the use of particular materials, constructions and forms. These houses are
expressions of a living and rich architectural understanding, free of formalism,
grown out of sound humanism and a strong and positive social understanding - the
only basis for a contemporary art of building."
Though, Kay Fisker wrote the article fifteen years after the Vestersøhus project
was finished its architectural design truly reflects the same sort of social,
functional and technological understanding.
Vestersøhus is possibly one of the most delicate examples of the bay-window-balcony
housing type developed in Denmark during the nineteen thirties. Besides its Nordic
genesis, it is also associated to the functional programs carried out in German
Siedlung-dwellings. German Siedlung architecture was programmed for great amounts
of sunlight, fresh air and open space plans. These concerns did not only determine
the building layout, but also the detailing of the facade openings as a
transitional zone between the interior and the exterior environment.

Figure 1. The original plan drawing of Vestersøhus, running north/south
Vestersøhus is a large seven-story apartment block (264 apartments) located on the
site of a former Railroad Station, facing St. Jørgens Lake ‘fig. 1’. The client was
Anton Nielsen a local contractor who also carried out the masonry constructions.
The north/south position of the building determined the layout of the facades, as
well as the organization of the apartments. The apartment plans were of great
variety, ranging from 1-8-room apartments. The apartment block was built in two
tempi, the first part from 1935-36 and the second part from 1938-39; a third part
that was planned to face Nyropsgade was never executed.
The load bearing structure and the facades are built as solid masonry constructions
of red hand-molded bricks. Each floor slab is made of reinforced, poured concrete
and separated from the masonry walls by a thin insulating material. This enables
each of the structural elements to work independently and prevent problems caused
by the physical nature of the different materials. Also the reinforced concrete
floors structurally support the cantilevered balcony and the masonry lintels that
bridge across the window openings.

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011
Figure 2. Vestersøhus, façade towards the St. Jørgens Lake

Figure 3. Original detail drawing of the bay-window-balcony feature.
As for the facade towards Vestersøgade and the lake (South-West), the bay-window-
balcony feature is developed to almost perfection with spatially large, partly
recessed and cantilevered balconies, intimately tied to the corner windows. It can
be regarded as a volumetric structure consisting of contrasting spatial elements
and materials. The facade varies between the voids of the entrances and the semi-
recessed balconies, reflecting windowpanes, and the projected balcony parapets that
appear as screens fixed to the flat surface of the facade. The masonry adds to the
spatial impression of the facade, since the exposed and recessed wall pieces
reflect the light differently and provide a variety of textile expressions in the
surfaces ‘fig.2’.
The bay-window-balcony forms a site of transition between the interior and exterior
spaces. One does not enter the balcony straight from the living room, but the door
is delicately placed at the inner corner of the bay window protected from the
weather by the cantilevered balcony above. The low height of the window back, does
not only integrate the balcony area visually as part of the interior spaces, but
also provides for daylight to reach far into the living room. ‘fig.3’ Furthermore,
the orientation of the glass corner towards the S/W allows for sunlight from noon
to sunset – was a feature also highlighted in the commercial sales material for the
building. The attention to every detail of the Vestersøhus facades shows the
architectural approach that characterizes Fisker’s work throughout his career. As
part of a student project executed in 1910-14 together with Åge Rafn and Einer
Dyggve, Kay Fisker (Fisker et al., 1914) left a comment on one of the measuring
drawings. This was of a traditional multi-storey house in center of Copenhagen and
the note was saying: "Each room has its character […]. The carpentry, cabinetwork,
ironwork, but also the masonry work is executed with great consideration of each
room […] Rarely is anything allowed if it is not necessary. Ornate lavishness has
yielded for a design, where functional reality is immediately perceived and
stated".

Figure 4. The cross bond pattern of the masonry wall of Vestersøhus, photo OW
Figure 5. Close up of the façade of Vestersøhus, photo AB

Vestersøhus perfectly illustrates this understanding: The masonry construction that
is formed by a cross bond pattern with pressed, recessed joints draws the contour
of the each brick ‘fig 4’. This feature creates distinct shadows that give the
masonry wall a textile vibrant surface. The masonry wall becomes an orthogonal
relief, holding the same sort of dynamic interplay between light and shadow, as
present in the larger design scale of the facade. This material consideration as
well as the spatial qualities is also emphasized by the sash windows that are
painted white, while the window frames are painted black. The ironwork of the
balcony parapets are equally painted white, while the grill in front of the
basement windows are black. The sidewalk is paved with the same dark red bricks as
the upright masonry band at the foundation, while the large entrance platform is
paved with dark brown tiles. ‘fig.5’ Altogether, these refined details establish
and underline specific functions and call attention to the meaning of each
architectural element.

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011

2.2 Charlottehaven, (2001): Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects
When Charlottehaven was finished in 2001 in the eastern part of centre Copenhagen,
the city gained a new notable housing block. The building was instantly recognized
for its fine architectural details and by its clear reinterpretation of one of the
most pivotal architectural works from Danish functionalist tradition – the
Vestersøhus.
The city of Copenhagen has changed radically over the past ten years. Several
former industrial sites and harbor districts that previously housed traditional
manufacturing companies and port activities, have been transformed for new
purposes. Now these areas are developed including prominent governmental offices,
corporate headquarters and exclusive condominiums. Districts like these hold
several advantages due to the fact that they are often integrated in an existing
urban context, where you can benefit from the existing infrastructure, abundant
shopping possibilities and various recreational facilities. Despite this favorable
urban environment, these new developments rarely bring about similar qualities. On
the contrary, they typically appear as autonomous communities that express
individuality and privacy in relation to the surrounding urban contexts.
These gestures are perceived through the general location of buildings and houses,
but also in the material choice, the facade proportions and their detailing. As for
most of the building that have been built, they are huge volumes dominated by large
glass facades and clad with industrialized products such as sophisticated stone
tiles or metal sheets. The size of the buildings and their material texture is
rarely attuned to human proportions or needs. Thus, one can easily feel alienated
and unwelcomed when you visit these new neighborhoods.

Figure 6. The overall plan of the Charlottehaven building complex

Figure 7. Section through the Charlottehaven building complex

Charlottehaven has a quite different feel to it. It appears as a large masonry
building block integrated into the surrounding urban fabric closely relating to
existing scale and the predominant material of the neighboring buildings – that is
brick. Charlottehaven was built ten years ago on a former industrial site close to
the Nordhavn Station in Copenhagen by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects a highly
experienced architectural firm in regard of housing developments. It was financed
by a private developer, who wished to develop exclusive rental apartments - a
rarely seen ownership concept at the present Danish housing market. The current
building complex contains 178 rental apartments formed as a U-form angled multi-
storey building block facing the neighboring streets ‘fig. 6’. In the large
courtyard, there are located a couple of buildings that are occupied by a
kindergarten and a wellness centre. The apartment blocks facing towards
Strandboulevarden (West) have 5½ storey and are of 4½ storey towards Hjørringgade
(North) and Gl. Kalkbrænderivej (South). ‘fig. 7’

The buildings within the courtyard form a coherent building complex of two storey
including two buildings of 7 storey. These buildings where meant for a small number
of hotel apartments, a child-care centre and various service facilities that allows
for leisure activities, including a restaurant, tennis courts and a small pool. The
building copies an English model; where the development of new housing on former
industrial land has been successful in mixing housing with exclusive restaurants,

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011

shops and attractive amenities. Like the English role models, Charlottehaven
belongs to the exclusive part of the housing market and caters to affluent home-
seekers who want an apartment for rent. There is therefore spend considerable
amounts of money on the building and the ambitious property developer, consciously
worked to create a wide range of attractive living accommodations and high-quality
architecture in collaboration with the architects. Although different functions and
service facilities have been integrated as part of the Charlottehaven housing
complex, it possess an original and cultivated architectural expression that
origins from the distinct qualities of Danish Functionalism’s best housing
projects. Consequently, the building complex holds statements that go beyond
conventional architectural design practice – here there is a genuine interest in
reinterpreting and transforming details from the past into present day construction
and architectural design.

Figure 8. Charlottehaven, the main facade facing Strandboulevarden, south/east
Charlottehaven is characterized primarily by the long facade facing the main
street, Strandboulevarden ‘fig. 8’. From that point alone, it looks like
Vestersøhus which stretches its primary facade along the St. George Lake. The
composition of the façade is clearly inspired by the same dynamic syntax that
characterizes Vestersøhus where the protruding and recessed facades - which
consists of glass surfaces, masonry walls and balcony railings - offers a
structural piece of light and shadow. The facade appears as a spatial composition
which is composed of several layers of materials of varying textural nature. The
impressive extended façade of the building block thus becomes divided into patches
and surfaces, which makes it possible to grasp and relate to at a human scale when
walking along the building. Colors and materials are however different in the two
houses. Vestersøhus is much more colorful and have more distinct contrasts than
Charlottehaven, with its red brick walls, white and black painted window frames,
and its white-painted balcony railings with slender iron bars which have an almost
graphic appearance on a sunny day. The masonry in Vestersøhus are red hand-pressed
bricks laid as a cross bond with retracted joints. The distinct contour of the
bricks provides a strong geometric pattern to the wall surface, which transform
into a woven mesh at a distance, but which gets full of character when you study
the masonry at close range.

Figure 9. The stretcher bond patter of the masonry wall of Charlottehaven.
Figure 10. The glass clad balcony and the zinc clad Mansard roofs.

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011

Charlottehaven has a darker color scheme than Vestersøhus due to the grayish-black
bricks ‘fig. 9’. But also the crude dark window frames, the pale greenish parapet,
the extensive use of raw glass, and the dark gray zinc clad dormers and Mansard
roofs concentrate and balance the architectural expression, ‘fig. 10’. The
brickwork also has a completely different appearance than is the case with
Vestersøhus. The dark oxygen reduced bricks are laid out as a facing wall in a
stretcher bond, with ½ and ¼ brick variation. The bond looks random, but when it is
studied closely, it reiterates the masonry details of the Trinity Church parish
hall in Copenhagen, where the height of the bond code is 4 bricks and the bond code
width is 1 ¾ brick. In addition, there is used a thick smooth joint (about 1.2 to
1.5 cm) that fortify the textile quality of the masonry. By these masonry details,
a uniform surface effect is created similar to a large stage curtain that sets a
quiet backdrop for the spatial dynamics of the facade.
2.3 Æblelunden, (2009): Tegnestuen Vandkunsten
As stated in a short introductory article on Æblelunden by Martin Keiding (2008),
the aim of the project was: “[…] to create a housing concept that could be sold at
a lower cost than the prevailing market prices. Thus the project was optimized and
simplified on all levels and the expression was inspired from the 1940’s and 50’s,
where the goal was to build inexpensively for ordinary people.”

Figure 11. The façade facing South/West, Æblelunden, Photo TB.
Figure 12. Section drawing through the building block Æblelunden.

Figure 13. Plan drawing first floor, Æblelunden.
The housing block forms a single building of seven storeys, with its primary
facades facing North/East and South/West ‘fig. 11’. It consists of 98 condominiums
of almost the same size of 85 m2, only the apartments in each end of the building
have a larger size ‘fig. 12’. Æblelunden is situated at a suburban site, formerly
occupied by the National Danish Broadcasting Company – DR, and now planned to be
occupied by 600 dwellings. For that reason, the surrounding buildings are still few
and the general size of the buildings in the area and the infrastructure that feeds
the area is not considering the human scale and seems not yet fully developed. In
that sense, Æblelunden can be said to carry similar features as the high rise
buildings of the 60’ies and 70’ies, where a successful integration of the building
into the landscape and urban context is difficult to realize. One could argue that
the Æblelunden housing complex is isolated from its neighboring buildings, the
occupants are isolated from each other by the organization of the building and they
are hindered from easily using the green areas around the building due to lack of
direct connections (doors and stairs at both sides of the building) ‘fig. 12’.
The construction system used in Æblelunden is prefabricated concrete elements. The
element pattern, form a structural rhythm which is repeated throughout the building

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011
block. The structural system offers only modest variations in terms of apartment
plans and sizes. ‘fig. 13’ There is however, no load bearing partitions inside the
dwelling units and the internal structure is basically open to change and
individual interior designs. Since the intention of the client, a private developer
company, was to build affordable housing, the construction expenses was of great
importance and therefore the few variations was meant to reduce the construction
costs. For that reason, the architects were much involved in the design and
development of the construction system and they also paid attention to the fact
that the efficiency of the construction process also has a governing factor.

Figure 14. The façade under construction before the balconies had been mounted. The
patchwork pattern generated by the brick clad parts and the exposed concrete
provides a notable variation in the expression of the façade.
Figure 15. The South/West façade with the balconies mounted. Now a spatial
dimension is added to the level surface of the façade. Photo USM

The facade construction includes very few types of components and it follows the
rational approach which counts for the rest of the building ‘fig.14’. The primary
façade element is a high insulated concrete sandwich element with gray bricks
embedded in large parts of the facade. The façade construction is composed by the
same element. This element is reversed which makes it into two types of elements.
The same principle applies to the north facade. However, in the gables, at the
ground floor and at the transition to the roof, you see multiple types of elements
used. Overall, it helps to increase the total number of element variations. In that
way the construction system follows a simple principle that opens for greater
variation than first thought. Despite the limited variation of the façade elements
in the north and south facades, they appear reasonably varied in the detailing. The
architects have deliberately tried to displace the elements in relation to each
other and utilize the void between the elements. After the facade elements are
hoisted into place, the windows are inserted. In the structural pattern of the
facades, there is a deliberate adaptation of the few element types, thereby helping
to create diversity and nuances in the facade rhythm. The subtle vigor expressed in
the façade design is also supported by the spatial layer of open balconies that are
placed, hanging on the façades ‘fig. 15’.
The combinations of the materials in the façades, which consist of exposed concrete
strips and brick clad parts, create an intriguing orthogonal pattern. And it is
interesting to note that even though the primary material of the construction
elements is concrete the brick clad parts seem to be the most dominating feature.
The material pattern of the façades helps to scale down the large dimensions of the
building and ‘soften’ the crude and monotonous impression of the overall crude
shape of the building. Also by using high quality bricks in a dark brownish shade
for the clad parts, the building appears more appealing as well as it gives a
textural quality to the experience of surfaces when approaching.
In a former interview about the architectural ideas of Tegnestuen Vandkunsten,
Søren Nielsen, the architect in charge of the Æblelunden project, has stated
(Nielsen, 2002): “We are first and foremost occupied with the architectural
aspects, to create better spaces in the dwellings. […] we have to find solutions
and details that are possible to execute at a low prize, that are not too
ambitious. […] we also highly prioritize the spatial qualities. The spatial purpose
and qualities come through, despite the fact that the details are not exceptional.
Although, this statement was referring to an earlier affordable housing project
that focused on integrating sustainable solutions, the ideas about the role of the
detail also seems reflected in the Æblelunden project.

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011

No doubt that the quality of the interior spaces has been the main focus and
despite the low budget the apartments are well designed, with loads of daylight,
quite spacious and flexible in the organization of the plans. However, the
designing architects do not seem to have downsized the aspect of detailing in the
project. On the contrary, the qualities of the simple construction design have been
studied closely, thoroughly unfolded and then developed into distinctive features
that refer to architectural predecessors based on similar program and of the same
scale. Although, the project had difficult constraints due to the low budget, the
architects seem to have reached their intentions - to create the best possible
spatial solutions.

3 Conclusion

The final part of the paper introduces a short discussion focusing on the question;
Does the ‘essence of material nature’ or ‘honest construction design and detailing’
- which have been considered strong architectural virtues since the 1930’ies among
Danish architects - seem displaced in contemporary construction industry?
As such, the intention of this concluding part is to address the problem; if the
Danish tradition for proper detailing in architecture – identified as an outcome of
tectonic consideration – can survive the future challenges provided by the
construction industry. In other words if Danish architects can hold on to the art
and craft of contextual detailing and transform this cultivated skill into robust
contemporary architectural edifice.

If we look at both Charlottehaven and Æblelunden there is no doubt, that they
inscribe themselves into the functionalist tradition as defined by Fisker and
Millech in their book on "Danish Architectural Trends"(1952). Here they emphasize
that functionalism is based on the belief that: "[…] the use, the construction and
the appropriate material form the basis for the design." They further add that the
Danish functionalism mainly takes the feel of the finished form and textural
character of the materials.
In both Charlottehaven and Æblelunden we find the same attention to the fact that
the architectural design is being generated from or grows out of – ‘the stuff the
building is made of’ - rather than vice versa – where the design tends to formalism
detached from the material and technological contents. Both housing blocks are
truly imbedded in contextual and cultural definitions of purposes, practices and
resources found or used locally. In that sense, in each their own way they hold a
strong tectonic sentiment that is naturally expressed or delicately referred to in
the construction design and the detailing.

One could argue that the construction details of Charlottehaven articulate a new
generation of ‘functionalist housing’ architecture, which is based on fundamental
values such as integration, unity and identity. These notions are exclusively
expressed and they are found at all levels, from the overall site plan of the
building complex and how it is fitted into the urban context, to the balanced
‘spatial weave’ design of the facade openings and finally to the material scheme
that holds a natural unfinished touch. The gray zinc clad roof and the dull color
of the oak window frames, the greenish hue of the raw glass enclosing the balconies
and the refined dark grayish bricks, all melt together offering different shades of
grey and materializing a subtle, but solid architectural statement.

Quite different circumstances have generated the tectonic considerations contained
in the building block of Æblelunden. Definitely, the small budget has called for
creative thinking, yet it did not hinder profound architectural details to be
developed. Having grown out of a long tradition of housing design in particular for
social housing, Tegnestuen Vandkunsten has drawn upon this expertise. Their
interest in the quality of the interior spaces and the interrelation of these to
the outdoor environment together with limited design options in the façade
construction elements becomes a driving force in the architectural design. The few
variations of the façade elements are thoroughly designed with a high finish of
both concrete parts and the brick clad parts. The interstitial spaces between the
elements are lined with red painted window frames and the balconies are
characterized by open wire net. Also this detail design is well composed and
adequately complex so new variations and similarities can be detected - leaving an
impression of a huge spatial patchwork – flowing down the facades. The huge size of
the building becomes dissolved and the façade details invites to be further
examined in order to solve the puzzle of the structural principles as well as the
underlying pattern of aesthetic composition.

10th international detail design in architecture conference  ddia10  istanbul 27+28.10.2011

One could therefore wish for that the cultivated qualities of Charlottehaven and
Æblelunden that seem to follow the tectonic building culture found in Vestersøhus
will be subject for inspiration in future housing design, both in the exclusive
housing projects as well as in the segment of social housing.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

All the photos that are not marked with a photographer’s initials are kindly
borrowed of the KASB, photo database.

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Fisker, Fisker & Dirckinck-Holmfeld, 1995. Kay Fisker, Arkitektens Forlag,
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