Bispebjerg Bakke - the Story of the Bispebjerg Snake

Published by Realea Bispebjerg Bakke - the Story of the Bispebjerg Snake

by journalist (DJ) Signe Kierkegaard Cain Contents

Foreword page 6 Chapter 1: The Vision of Bispebjerg Bakke page 8 Chapter 2: The Place page 24 Chapter 3: Trade and Industry Meet page 40 Chapter 4: A Strong Collaboration page 62 Chapter 5: Living on the Hill page 82 Chapter 6: Interview with Marie Vinther page 98 Foreword winds its way through the Northwest the artist, the architects and the building would never have been carried out. A ”An imaginative, beautiful and ground- neighbourhood of Copenhagen – on a owners have had to re-evaluate parts of warm thanks to EVERYONE involved, and breaking residential building with obvious natural site that combines rural peaceful- the vision. not least the people who pass on their references to southern European Art Nou- ness and the vibrant pulse of the city. hopes, ideas and solutions in this book. veau, but interpreted in a contemporary First and foremost, though, this has been Hereby they help to keep the story of the fashion that deeply roots the building in Slim columns in red and yellow bricks, a process that has encouraged innovation creation of Bispebjerg Bakke alive. the community”. balconies in shining ceramic glaze and a and sharpened the strong collaboration beautiful copper roof that wriggles and between the building owners, the origina- Realea With these words, Bispebjerg Bakke re- winds through the landscape. This is the tors of the project and those who carried March 2007. ceived an honorary award from the Soci- sight – created by handpicked materials out the vision. New digital solutions have ety for the Embellishment of the Capital and superb craftsmanship – that meets found their way out of the computer, ar- (Foreningen til Hovedstadens Forskøn- residents and visitors at Bispebjerg Bak- chitects have stepped into the sculptural nelse) in December 2006. With the award ke. And it is in these materials and the universe of art, and craftsmen have been and the moving in of the first residents, a skilful use of them that a large part of the challenged by snaking copper surfaces, dignified and appreciative end was put to Bispebjerg Bakke vision is to be found. curving walls and crooked angles. The the creation of a unique residential buil- The vision of a building that both exem- snake lies there now. Now, the fine crafts­ ding; a building that was initiated back in plifies craftsmanship and is a work of art. manship, the handpicked materials and 1997, when Bjørn Nørgaard, the sculptor, Realea, who together with The Copenha- the rounded shapes have to prove their and the Chairman of The Copenhagen As- gen Association of Crafts is behind the worth as a setting for the everyday life sociation of Crafts, Klaus Bonde Larsen, building, wishes with this book to give an of future generations. But nothing comes had their first informal talk about dreams, insight into a long and complex process into existence by itself. And were it not visions and wishes for a different kind of of creation. A process that stretches from for the persistent effort and insistent beli- residential building. Today – nine years la- the first diffuse vision to the completed ef in the vision and the project from all of ter – the building is complete. Like a snake building; a process in which hopes have the many, many people who have been with its head held high, Bispebjerg Bakke been challenged, and throughout which involved along the way, Bispebjerg Bakke

  Chapter 1 - The Vision of Bispebjerg Bakke

  The Vision of industrial solutions. ”We wanted to show that it was possible to build a good quality Bispebjerg Bakke building without involving the large con- tractors that normally control the building ”Let’s build a house that industry process”, says Klaus Bonde Larsen. The idea can’t make”. was to give the builders a great deal of in- Bjørn Nørgaard fluence over the construction of a building with full-brick walls without prefabricated They wanted it to be the work of both art- sections; a building drawing on the proud- ist and craftsman. A building emphasizing est traditions of craftsmanship. ”I asked aesthetics and built with the traditional Bjørn Nørgaard whether he would consider methods of craftsmen. In 1997, the chair- designing a building for The Copenhagen man of The Copenhagen Association of Association of Crafts, and he assented. We Crafts, Klaus Bonde Larsen, was a mem- agreed to build attractive, modern apart- ber of the Committee for the Protection ments that were an expression of the fine of Traditional Craftsmanship (Udvalget til craftsmanship that we had talked so much sikring af traditionelle håndværk), which about”, says Klaus Bonde Larsen. He had had been appointed by the Minister of Cul- worked with Bjørn Nørgaard before, when ture and the Minister of the Environment the artist designed a target for him at the and Energy. The sculptor, Bjørn Nørgaard, Royal Shooting Society of Copenhagen was also on this committee. He and Klaus (Det Kongelige Kjøbenhavnske Skydesel- Bonde Larsen soon started discussing how skab). Klaus Bonde Larsen had gained the it would be possible to construct a building impression that Bjørn Nørgaard was both which could prove that fine craftsmanship an insightful and a fascinating sculptor. was still alive and able to compete with ”He doesn’t cut corners. I think we had 16

10 11 meetings in connection with the design the same time contains the formal artistic of the target! While he was making it, he qualities that transcend time and space. In asked at one point if I had a motto. In the modernist thinking, some claim that pure end we put ‘And we did it’ on the target”. function has its own aesthetic quality, but aesthetics are functional in themselves and That particular statement is a good illustra- if they are not assigned a particular realm tion of the pioneer spirit that characterised in which to act they are overshadowed by the first conversations about Bispebjerg economics and politics. In my opinion aes- Bakke between Klaus Bonde Larsen and thetics contribute something very unique Bjørn Nørgaard. On the committee there that does not necessarily relate to func- was a great deal of talk about how to rein- tion”, says Nørgaard. In his opinion we force craftsmanship, but Bonde Larsen and tend to emphasize economic and rational Nørgaard wanted action. Bjørn Nørgaard’s values and forget aesthetic ones when we vision for Bispebjerg Bakke was to fuse art build. ”Some believe that the discussion is and architecture in a residential building of over. They believe that it no longer makes the highest craftsmanship quality. ”It has sense for some idiot to spend his time de- always interested me how a work of art signing a different kind of roof. The attitude plays a role in society here and now and at seems to be that the cheapest roof is also

Bjørn Nørgaard, Sculptor Bjørn Nørgaard graduated from The Experimental School of Art in 1964. He was a pro- fessor at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1985 to 1994 and his work forms part of the collections at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and the Danish National Gallery (Statens Museum for Kunst). Bjørn Nørgaard is behind a series of tapestries de- picting Danish history made for the Danish Queen, the granite square ‘Amagertorv’ in Copenhagen and the group of sculptures ‘The Genetically Modified Paradise’. Together with Klaus Bonde Larsen he is the originator of Bispebjerg Bakke. 12 13 the most beautiful roof. But I believe that we modelled the house in clay. In architec- considerations of what is beautiful and in- ture, there is often the problem that build- spiring are crucial to the way we shape our ings are not thought of as one large shape, surroundings. Bispebjerg Bakke is part of but only as fragmented elements. With that discussion”, says Bjørn Nørgaard. With clay you get volume, mass and an over- Bispebjerg Bakke he wanted to create an all impression”. The vision for Bispebjerg organic whole. A building which expressed Bakke was shaped by the sketches and the the connection between art, architecture, three-dimensional clay model. For Jesper craftsmanship and technology. But first, Holm, working with Bjørn Nørgaard meant the ideas needed to be transformed into a new way of thinking. ”As architects we sketches and models in collaboration with are greatly influenced by the construction architects Jørn Boldsen and Jesper Holm. business of which we are part and we tend to think like contractors. But working with Bjørn has been very different – a truly Towards a Sketch unique experience and an inspiration”, he ”When we joined the project, no sketch- says. Bjørn Nørgaard’s first sketches were es were drawn and no models had been free-hand drawings in intense colours, built”, says Jesper Holm. ”Bjørn came to which bore little resemblance to classic ar- visit our drawing office, so we could see if chitecture sketching. At first it was rather the social chemistry was right. That day we difficult to visualise Bispebjerg Bakke when The Copenhagen Association of Crafts (Haandværkerforeningen I Kjøbenhavn) made the first sketches. And soon we built looking at some of the sketches, says Klaus The Copenhagen Association of Crafts has a fund, Alderstrøst, which owns fifty percent clay models, because we needed to see a Bonde Larsen: ”You had to write ‘building’ of Bispebjerg Bakke. Klaus Bonde Larsen, who has been chairman of the association spatial version of the sketches”. Bjørn Nør- on the sketches, because no one could see since 1992, took the initiative to build Bispebjerg Bakke together with Bjørn Nørgaard. gaard elaborates: ”As a sculptor I thought what they were supposed to be! But Bjørn The Copenhagen Association of Crafts was founded in 1840. of the house as a whole. This is also why established a very fine symbiosis with the

14 15 architects, and that has made his ideas Erik Haurbæk. ”We agreed that we didn’t sufficiently tangible to be built”. Even so, want to send the message to the outside engineers were sceptical when introduced world that it wasn’t possible to build Bis- to the idea of the alternative building with pebjerg Bakke. Our goal then became to its rounded shapes. The Chief Engineer at optimise as best we could – to find solu- Carl Bro, Poul Erik Haurbæk, remembers: tions that would not make the craftsmen ”When we were first presented with this say that we hadn’t been thinking straight project, our reaction was that it couldn’t be when planning the project. If they turn up done. And more than one person said we at the building site and tell you that this would have to change it so that the build- is easier to draw than to build, you know ing had straight walls and a flat or sloping you’ve done badly”. roof – at any rate a roof that only sloped in one direction!” But the enthusiasm of Bjørn Nørgaard and Jesper Holm quickly The Meeting of Art and Archi- rubbed off on Poul Erik Haurbæk. And he tecture started gathering a team of Carl Bro engi- Bispebjerg Bakke is a dream come true for neers, who could help do the job. ”It’s not Bjørn Nørgaard. Ever since his artistic child- enough for me to be enthusiastic. I need hood in the 1960s he has been investigat- to make a construction engineer, a plumb- ing how art can effect the physical environ- ing engineer, an electrical engineer and a ment. ”In those days we were inspired by Boldsen & Holm Architects number of other engineers and technicians the Bauhaus tradition, in which architects, Boldsen & Holm Architects was founded in 1998 and employs 10 architects. The draw- enthusiastic as well. Part of the team was engineers, craftsmen and artists sought a ing office is behind the residential buildings ‘ECO Towers’ in Islands Brygge and ‘Æble- an expert on acoustics who looked at the common platform and worked together. haven’ in Værløse. Furthermore it has done ‘Dahlerups Torv’ in Langelinie that closely possible effects of the Farum railway line And we believed that art can contribute interacts with Bjørn Nørgaard’s group of sculptures ‘The Genetically Modified Paradise’. that runs just next to the site”, explains Poul to society with unique qualities that are Jesper Holm is one of the founders of Boldsen & Holm Architects.

16 17 often considered to be unnecessary luxu- find it hard to give up responsibility. The ries”, he says. Nørgaard and his contem- extraordinary collaboration between the poraries on the 1960’s art scene were also artist and the architect was the main rea- influenced by 19th century Pre-Raphael- son why Realdania decided to invest in ites, who had the era before Raphael and the Bispebjerg Bakke project. The Chief the renaissance as their artistic ideal, and Executive Officer of Realdania, Flemming were fascinated by the middle ages, when Borreskov, emphasises: ”For us the target architect and sculptor were often one and was to integrate art and architecture. In the same person. Bjørn Nørgaard has al- modernism there has been a tendency to ways dreamt of creating a place, where cultivate function and strip buildings of all all these thoughts could form a synthesis. art. I believe that times are changing, in ”This was a real windfall for me”, he says. the sense that we are increasingly inspired And it makes a significant difference that by older architectural schools – amongst Bispebjerg Bakke is the product of collabo- others by the Baroque and Rococo styles, ration between an artist and an architect. in which art and architecture were inter- ”The building is very different from other twined. The two disciplines have been Danish residential buildings. The organic separated for many years, but Bispebjerg shape stands out, and it is evident that Bakke is a model example of the combina- One of Bjørn Nørgaard’s first sketches of Bispebjerg Bakke. an artist has been involved in this project tion of the two”. Later in the process, Re- from day one. In Denmark we are used to aldania’s subsidiary company, Realea, took box architecture – most residential build- over the role of building owner. Realea’s ings today are boxes with a flat roof”, says Chief Executive Officer, Peter Cederfeld, Jesper Holm. In his opinion one reason has this to say about Realea’s decision to why close collaboration between artists invest in Bispebjerg Bakke: ”The ambition and architects is so rare is that architects to use traditional craftsmanship was not in

18 19 itself interesting for us. We do that all the innovative”. It was Bjørn Nørgaard’s idea time in our restoration projects. What was to create one large sculpture that people different was the integration of art and ar- could move into and be affected by. With chitecture. Bjørn Nørgaard’s vision was ex- aesthetic values taking pride of place, Bis- citing – also because he has worked with pebjerg Bakke was meant to be a space architecture before. Also there is probably which offers unique visual experiences no doubt that a lesser known artist would and makes art a part of everyday life. have had a harder time convincing us. The heading for our choice of projects is: ‘What others can and will do, we shouldn’t do’. The Ambition of Traditional And in Bispebjerg Bakke we saw an op- Craftsmanship portunity to test some things. Even as a The dream was to build Bispebjerg Bakke model the building was spectacular and with full-brick walls, without prefabri-

Realea Realea A/S is a subsidiary of Realdania. The primary object of Realea is to acquire and promote existing, unique properties and thus preserve significant examples of archi- tecture and building methods from various historical periods and geographical areas throughout Denmark. Another objective is to support new, experimental constructions. Properties acquired by Realea A/S have distinct architectural, cultural or historical quali- ties that might otherwise be lost for future generations. Peter Cederfeld has been the Chief Executive Officer since 2003. In Realea’s headquarters in Odense there is a plaster model of Bispebjerg Bakke – cast from Bjørn Nørgaard’s first clay model.

20 21 cated sections; to avoid concrete and to caught in the process. We wanted this work around industrial building methods. project to be different”. On the Bispebjerg For Bjørn Nørgaard, building industri- Bakke project, craftsmen and their work ally has its obvious flaws: “When choos- were to play the leading part. The joy of ing to build industrially, you often don’t fine craftsmanship was to be the engine think very far ahead. Initial costs may be that powered the building process, and low, but numerous examples show that Klaus Bonde Larsen and Bjørn Nørgaard it brings its own punishment when the wanted to prove that it was possible to building requires expensive renovation build high quality buildings without in- after ten to fifteen years. The advantage volving contracting firms and industrial of craftsmanship is that it is possible to building methods. It turned out to be repair things, which is not the case with more difficult than they thought, though. industrial solutions. They need to be re- And the two originators and other of the placed. And in the industrial way of build- project’s players had to moderate their ing you don’t view buildings as a whole. vision along the way. But before we em- In my opinion a building is not an isolated bark on that story, we will dwell on the object; it affects the whole neighbour- area that Bispebjerg Bakke is part of, and hood, the whole town. Therefore build- in which Bjørn Nørgaard grew up. ings must be looked at as part of a larger context”. Klaus Bonde Larsen is especially critical of the contractors, who normally run the building process: ”In our opinion large contracting firms have ruined crafts- manship and erected buildings that were so controlled by profit that craftsmen got

22 23 Chapter 2 - The Place

24 25 The Place and worked in the area”. Bjørn Nørgaard was a child of the post-war years and grew Bjørn Nørgaard was born in 1947, and he up in a one and a half bedroom apartment grew up in Northwest Copenhagen. The in what is called the ‘bird district’, because design of the Bispebjerg snake has been all the streets are named after birds. Even greatly influenced by the apartment blocks after moving away from the area, he went in the neighbourhood; in fact, Bispebjerg back to visit his parents and grandparents Bakke is in many ways inspired by the until they passed away. ”I have seen fac- neighbourhood and its architectural histo- tory after factory close down, and many ry. We will get back to that, but first we are of the people who lived in the area have going to take a trip down Bjørn Nørgaard’s moved out of the city”, says Nørgaard. He ’memory lane’: ”When I was growing up, believes that the Northwest Copenhagen the Northwest area was very alive and dy- area has very unique qualities: ”Northwest namic. All the factories that are now emp- Copenhagen lies on higher ground – and ty were booming, and people both lived that means lots of good light.

Bispebjerg The oldest part of the Bispebjerg district was built in the 1920s next to Grundtvig’s Church. Apart from that, most of the neighbourhood, of which the largest part lies south of Tagensvej, was built in the 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s. The name of the neighbourhood was originally ‘Bissebjerg’, which means ‘the hill where the cows stampede’. It dates back to the 1600s when cattle moved freely on the hill between Utterslev and Emdrup. Source: Christian Kirkeby, ‘Bispebjergkvarteret’, Lokalhistorisk selskab for Brønshøj, Husum og Utterslev, 2003.

26 27 Northwest Copenhagen has plenty of light 1999, Bjørn Nørgaard went to see the site and space and there is only a fifteen mi- for the first time with the architect, Jørn nute drive both to Kongens Nytorv in the Boldsen. ”When I saw it, the Parks and centre of town and the recreational area, Gardens Nursery had been phased out Utterslev Mose. And even though many and the site was completely overgrown. new districts have been built up around It was filled with trees and plants run it, the area has kept its feel of openness wild and the Nursery’s little green sheds and being on the outskirts of town”. were still there. The place was run down but very fascinating. And it was full of Here, where the Bispebjerg snake now animals and birds. It was a bit like being winds its way through the landscape, in the countryside”. Bjørn Nørgaard was was previously the site of the Copenha- enthusiastic. The site did indeed lie next gen Parks and Gardens Nursery, establis- to the railway tracks, but the noise from hed at the beginning of the 20th century. the trains was limited and on the other Bispebjerg Bakke’s next door neighbours side of the site was a road with very little are Bispebjerg Hospital – designed by traffic. But before Nørgaard and his col- architect Martin Nyrop – and the S-train laborators could start implementing the tracks that run next to the site. The site vision of Bispebjerg Bakke, The Copenha- is a part of the Northwest Copenhagen gen Association of Crafts had to secure area and yet forms its own enclave, shiel­ the right to the land. Klaus Bonde Larsen ded from the road by tall trees. In March says: ”We negotiated with the municipa-

ATS Satirical newspaper comment about the squatters (Politiken 3.9.2004)

”Mr. Squatter, did you gain anything from occupying a few trees in Northworst Copenha- gen? – Yes, we’ve never had a higher profile in the pulp press than we have now”.

28 29 lity about taking over the site, but it was Inspired by the Blocks of difficult because they couldn’t sell us the Nørrebro land without making a public invitation to ‘The skateboard ramp’, ‘the ski jump’, ‘the tender. At that time we had already done roller coaster’. These are some of the as- sketches of the building. It was our luck sociations people have when they see the that the municipality ended up inviting highest point of the building that now to- tenders that had to include a building wers above the landscape next to Bispe- project – and they were very interested bjerg Hospital. At the highest point on the in our project!”. Not everyone was ent- site, the Bispebjerg Bakke building rises husiastic about placing a large residential from three floors to eight floors. The snake building on the site, though. The project has been equipped with a head held high. was met by opposition when a group of But long before Bispebjerg Bakke became squatters occupied the site in 2004. Just a snake with its head held high, the con- as construction was about to start, 20 cept of the building had to become a rea- young people invaded the trees on the lity. ”We quickly came up with the idea of site to stop work being done there. Their making a snake. We knew from the start objective was that the site should be used that we wanted to use the topography of to create a place like Christiania or other the site as a starting point for the buil- alternative facilities in Copenhagen. Both ding. It should be varied and alive and NCC and Realdania declared themselves move with the site. The building shouldn’t ready for dialogue, but the case was clo- work against the site, but should interact sed after a week when police forced the closely with it”, says Bjørn Nørgaard. The On December 1st 2004, the then Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Lars Engberg (second from left), officially laid squatters out of the trees. Bispebjerg Bakke site slopes 10 metres the foundation stone of Bispebjerg Bakke. Also the Managing Director of Realdania, Flemming Borreskov from the highest to the lowest point. And (third from left) and the Chairman of The Copenhagen Association of Crafts, Klaus Bonde Larsen (far right), to accommodate for that slope, Nørgaard took part in laying the foundation stone of the unorthodox residential building that welcomed its first resi- dents two years later. At the far left is Søren Ulslev, at that time the CEO of NCC.

30 31 and the architects started working with and with their different angles they con- a concept of gates dividing the 11 buil- tribute to the way the building follows the dings that Bispebjerg Bakke consists of. landscape. Bispebjerg Bakke was inspired The building is shaped like one long snake by the massive Nørrebro blocks that re- plus a shorter one next to it, but the two present some of the best high-rise apart- unbroken sequences actually consist of ment building done from the 1930s to the 11 buildings, nine in the long snake and 1950s. They are solid brick and really high two in the short one. The buildings are quality. The blocks are usually closed off, held together by the characteristic gates with streets on all four sides, or open at that also connect the front and back of one end. The distinctive feature is that the the buildings. The experience of the gate block creates an inner, private space in the being the border between the inside and yard and a public space facing the street, the outside world is something Nørga- and we wanted to repeat that motif here, ard remembers from his childhood in the but because of the considerable slope in Northwest neighbourhood – a part of Nør- the terrain and the location of our site, we rebro: ”There were gates in the block that I have ended up making a completely open grew up in on Svanevej. And the gate is a block”. The challenge of the inclined site symbol of the difference between outside is one of the reasons why they chose to and inside. You couldn’t just go into so- build the gates, Bjørn Nørgaard explains: meone else’s yard or you’d get beaten up. ”On Bispebjerg Bakke we have used the In that sense the gate signalled that this gates to define the plateaus that make it is our yard. When you entered your own possible for the buildings to be placed at yard, it was a refuge”. Jesper Holm says different levels. Simultaneously the gates about the gates at Bispebjerg Bakke: “The enabled us to place the various modules gates split up the snake into smaller units of the building at different angles, which

32 33 makes the building organic”. The idea was yard, because yellow ones were cheaper”, to create the sensation of going for a walk says Bjørn Nørgaard. ”And in the Northwest in the woods when moving about at Bi- neighbourhood both colours of bricks are spebjerg Bakke. ”When you walk along a represented. Here you can find yellow square building, you have to go round it, stones on the blocks along Tagensvej and but here we wanted to create a sensation on Grundtvig’s Church and red bricks on of walking among the trees”, says Nørga- for example Bispebjerg Hospital and the ard. And the building does make you think church yard wall. We brought that mix to of natural elements. The relatively slim, Bispebjerg Bakke. I also wanted two co- brick columns that rise upwards along the lours, because red bricks can seem heavy whole building look like trees, and the en- on their own”. At Bispebjerg Bakke, yellow tire building undulates in a movement that and red bricks are used next to each other, more than anything resembles that of a so the façade alternates between the two wave. And because each module is turned colours. Bispebjerg Bakke is not only inspi- at its own angle, you can stand at one end red by the history of the area. Even though of the snake and look almost directly at it is so different, the building is actually in another module in the same snake. This keeping with the Danish architectural tra- gives a sensation of never quite knowing dition, where light is essential. ”It is very where you are in the snake – each spot in important to us in the north to get the sun the building offers another way to look at into our homes. We want both a view and it. Another motif from the Nørrebro blocks lots of light. And these considerations are appears at Bispebjerg Bakke: The mix of also incorporated in the design of Bispe- yellow and red bricks. ”In the old days bjerg Bakke”, says Jesper Holm. The red they used red bricks on the street side of and yellow buildings have been equipped the building and yellow bricks towards the with tall windows that make the buildings

34 35 almost transparent and fill them with light. grounds. ”We wish to pass on the story of Not just the buildings but also the space the large garden centre that was situated between them and around them is careful- here. The land is very fertile, and some of ly thought out. In close collaboration with the trees have been here for a very long Bjørn Nørgaard, landscape architect Knud time”, says Knud W. Ø. Larsen. New plants W. Ø. Larsen has worked to create a close have also been added. Rows of bushes fol- interplay between the curved building and low the winding building and will, once its surroundings. He explains: ”We had the they grow, come to resemble hedges. The opportunity to do a very comprehensive rows will have very different appearances: registration of the plants on the site. That dog rose, wild cherry, lavender and many, has given us an idea of the narrative of many other plants grow here. ”Normally a the site and what to preserve”. They have landscape architect would choose to plant kept many of the original plants. That goes more bushes of the same kind, but here for the trees that provide a shield against there are more than 20 different kinds of the road, a small copse of lime tree and bushes. What’s different about the planta- a large area towards the tracks. Another tion scheme used here is the great varia- 35 trees have been placed in a temporary tion that Bjørn Nørgaard has chosen”, says nursery next to the ground and will later Knud W. Ø. Larsen. be planted in new spots throughout the

Knud W. Ø. Larsen Landscape Architects For more than 20 years the drawing office has worked with all aspects of landscape architecture: private gardens, recreational areas for public institutions, office buildings and buildings. Among other things, the drawing office is working on a number of jobs at Holmen in Copenhagen.

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Chapter 3 - Craft and Industry Meet

40 41 Craft and proceeded, it became increasingly clear that his dream of erecting a building from Industry Meet the bottom up without prefabricated ele- ments and without involving building con- “If you can’t make a model of it, tractors was not realistic. As Klaus Bonde don’t try and build it” Larsen puts it: “We ran a pre-qualification Bjørn Nørgaard to find the right craftsmen for the job. We got them all together for a seminar at This was Bjørn Nørgaard’s mantra, and it the Molskroen Conference Centre, where was constantly recited in the creation of Bjørn Nørgaard described the building in Bispebjerg Bakke. Today, one of the pla- some detail. All those present made an ster of Paris models of Bispebjerg Bakke agreement, promising each other that adorns the Realea offices – a mute witness this project would be the main focus of to a construction process which was aty- their attention. All agreed to support each pical from the start. The planning phase other to prove that it could actually be of Bispebjerg Bakke revealed exponents done. In the old days, the master carpen- of two specific visions: on the one hand, ter designed the roof, for example, but in the project owner, Realdania/Realea, en- this case all crafts were to be involved in visaged an opportunity to combine art one common design project for the who- and architecture; on the other hand, the le building. Everything went smoothly Copenhagen Association of Crafts gras- until we reached the pricing stage, and NCC ped at the chance to revive craftsmanship then it all fell completely apart. Everyone Torben Sørensen is Senior Project Manager at NCC, which is one of the largest building as the central element in a construction was piling on the overheads to such an development and contractor concerns in Denmark, with about 4,000 employees. In project. Bjørn Nørgaard nurtured these extent that the project would become un- Denmark, NCC was formed in the period 1996-99 by merging the building contractor same visions, but as the planning phase feasible. It was getting more and more companies of Rasmussen & Schiøtz, Armton and Superfos Construction, as well as the asphalt company, Phønix.

42 43 expensive at every meeting. In the end for the construction of Bispebjerg Bakke the mood was so unpleasant that Bjørn the upshot was that it would cost fifty Nørgaard emailed everyone telling them percent more than first estimated. “We not to come to any more meetings. We were shocked how expensive it would just had to swallow the pill, so I called the be to construct the whole thing from the NCC concern and asked them to step in as bottom up. We couldn’t go along with it”, the contractor”. explains Flemming Borreskov, Chief Exe- cutive Officer of Realdania. The whole Bi- Bjørn Nørgaard: “Cooperation with the spebjerg Bakke project was in danger; in master craftsmen simply broke down, fact, there was considerable doubt as to though I can’t really say why. Money whether it could be built at all. As Peter certainly played a role, but it was also a Cederfeld, Chief Executive Officer at Rea- question of ingrained habits. The master lea, puts it: “When it became clear how craftsmen were not able to take a long, expensive it would be to construct the hard look at their own working culture, building without prefabricated sections, and then move on to show that the craft- we began to consider whether it could be centred approach could compete with in- done at all. On more than one occasion dustrial production. One of the things we we began to doubt that the project would discussed was a readiness to accept that ever be realised”. one could not always have one’s own way. Were they prepared, for example, to put their own finances on the line and reveal On the Way to New Solutions them to the others?” A large number of Not only did the dream of constructing the master craftsmen were not prepared the building from the bottom up have to to do this, so when they put in their bids be abandoned, but also the idea that the One of Bjørn Nørgaard’s early sketches of a cast-iron grating.

44 45 involved in running the project. As Flem- tered into, which called for the contractor ming Borreskov explains: “After the first to work closely together with those pro- attempt, it became clear that the owners ject partners who were still in the game. of the project would have to be much Together, they went ahead to find ways more closely involved in the process. So of saving money that would make it pos- we set up a building owners’ committee, sible to build Bispebjerg Bakke. Torben which met once a month if the need aro- Sørensen, Project Manager at NCC, expla- se. When there is an imbalance between ins: “When we came into the picture, the- price and quality in a building project, it re was a lot of really good material from is especially important that the building the earlier process which we were able to owners constantly play an active role in continue working on. But it was painfully judging whether the plans are realistic or evident that the building owners, the ar- not. It means a lot to us that our project chitects and Bjørn Nørgaard himself were can be a model for others, in financial harbouring a lot of holy cows that would terms as well. If Bispebjerg Bakke had have to be slaughtered. So we got invol- cost half as much again – which was what ved and pointed out areas where costs things looked like when cooperation with could be cut by finding new solutions”. In the master builders broke down – then terms of the partnering model, the craf- neither would other people have been tsmen were also invited to participate in able to build anything similar. We would the development of the building project. master craftsmen could manage the pro- was economically feasible. In this phase, have ended up constructing a spectacular One of those involved in finding alter- cess themselves proved to be unworka- when the first model for the building of building, eligible for a hall of fame, but in native solutions that could cut costs and ble. The main question at this point was Bispebjerg Bakke had been abandoned fact the result of a quite unrealistic pro- make the building project more viable how to construct a building that lived up and an alternative had to be found, those cess”. When NCC came into the project, a was Kim Cordsen, a prominent person in to the ambitions of the designers and yet behind the project became more closely so-called partnering agreement was en- the Danish Bricklayers Association. He re-

46 47 counts: “I was involved in making a large their suggestions as to how the building number of changes to the building. For of Bispebjerg Bakke could be rationalised example, the design called for about for- and done cheaply. When people began to ty-three different kinds of moulded bricks look closely at the details, it became clear to be used on the rounded corners of the that even buildings with curving walls building. But forty-three different bricks could be built using a template. Kim Cord- in two colours are far too complicated to sen explains how they set about devising handle on a building site. I was aware a system to cope with the unusual sha- from an early stage that I was going to pes: “Most bricklayers have experience of be involved in the building project, so I laying rounded surfaces. This is normally was insistent that things should be made a very time-consuming business, but usu- as simple as possible. So I tried to figure ally there’s not much of it, so it doesn’t out if the job could be done with fewer matter if it takes a long time. But in this types of moulded bricks and it turned out case, rounded surfaces were almost 90% to be a piece of cake! When we called the of the building, so we had to work out architects they were walking on air to be how we could make the production of this told that it could be done.” So in the end, kind of surface more systematic. So we instead of using upwards of three mil- devised a system of metal riders and alu- lion bricks to build Bispebjerg Bakke, as minium templates, with the result that in The Walls originally planned, 800,000 bricks were the end it was easier to build this building Petersen Tegl, a brick-making firm in South Jutland, delivered the special bricks, which enough to do the job. Kim Cordsen relates than a square one”. At the outset, neither were laid by hand up against the specially-designed concrete forms. The following that at the time when ideas about Bispe- Bjørn Nørgaard nor Jesper Holm were bricks were used in the construction of Bispebjerg Bakke: bjerg Bakke had to be changed, Torben ready to abandon the idea of a building 368,144 antique gold water-strucked Sørensen invited people in for round-ta- without prefabricated sections. Amongst 228,256 red water-strucked with colour play ble discussions. Anyone could throw in other things, Bjørn Nørgaard was afraid 177,214 moulded bricks in 6 different shapes

48 49 that he would have to compromise on the been looking for all the time. However, curved, organic surfaces of the building if no sooner had we convinced Nørgaard the walls were to be built using industrial and Holm, before NCC announced that production methods. Unfortunately, there they could not make concrete sections was no turning back; alternative solutions that curve in more than one direction! had to be found. In fact, the transition As we were under pressure, we just said: from a building exclusively constructed ‘Give it a go!’, and so they just kept on by craftsmen to a collaboration between trying”. craft and industry put pressure on all tho- se involved, forcing them to think crea- tively. As Flemming Borreskov explains: Digital success “People under pressure either give up or As traditional craft methods were supple- have to work harder to find a solution. mented by industrial methods during the When we finally realised what it would building process, a whole range of inno- cost to build without industrial sections, vative digital solutions had to be worked we began to consider using concrete. out. As it had been accepted that not eve- Bjørn Nørgaard wouldn’t hear of it. In the rything could be done by hand, industry end, though, we succeeded in convincing had to step in to support handicraft to get him and Jesper Holm, partly because the the job done. It was quite a challenge to indoor climate is just as good when using get concrete twisting and turning to fol- concrete and partly because you can’t see low the lines of the Bispebjerg snake, and that the walls are not full-brick. When the it was here that the latest digital techno- walls are rendered, the full-brick and the logy was worth its weight in gold. Poul concrete areas look alike, so the building Erik Haurbæk explains: “We have achieved had the appearance Bjørn Nørgaard had what we call ‘building without measure’.

50 51 They are not many straight lines in the switches, and so on. The end result was building and as it was difficult – in some a common 3D model, which all those in- cases impossible – to note measurements volved in the project used as their point on the drawings, we decided to leave of departure. Thus, before Bispebjerg them out. Instead we got together with Bakke begin to rise as a building in the the architects to make a digital model, Northwest, it already existed in a digital which everyone could contribute to and version which everyone could relate and which was used as a common frame of respond to. reference”. The digital model was created by a process in which every single specia- Working digitally with the project has list engineer contributed information and made the whole building process a lot ea- requirements. For example, the plumbing sier. Digital drawings are extremely pre- engineer told us where to leave space for cise and by using Computer Aided Design ventilation channels, the electrical engi- (CAD), information about the sections to neer identified the placing of plugs and be produced can be communicated di-

Grontmij | Carl Bro Carl Bro forms part of the Dutch concern, Grontmij, which is one of the biggest players in the field of consultancy engineering in Europe. Grontmij provides a wide range of consultancy and engineering services relating to building, infrastructure, environment, water, industry and energy. They have branches in The Netherlands, Denmark, England, Germany, Belgium, Poland, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Sweden and Vietnam. In Denmark, Grontmij | Carl Bro has some 1,200 employees. Poul Erik Haurbæk is the Chief Consultant at Carl Bro.

52 53 rectly to the production facilities at the making the twisting, winding roof, to factories. The old-fashioned way involves produce complete roof sections at their more links in the chain, all of which are factory. The sections could be mounted open to human error. Working digitally directly on the building, thus reducing reduces the risk that the section delive- damp, for example. red from the factory does not match the drawing one has made. Torben Sørensen In this way it became possible to realise comments: “Keeping in mind the com- that double-curved roof which Bjørn Nør- plexity involved and the large number of gaard had dreamed of; a roof that wri- curved surfaces, it seems to me pretty re- thes and buckles in several directions. But markable that we completed the building it was not all that easy, as Jesper Holm without having to reject sections that did relates: “At the outset we thought we’d not fit”. One of the aspects that those in- found an advanced computer program volved constantly invoke as a digital suc- that could be used to design the double- cess story, is the roof of Bispebjerg Bakke. curved roof, but the program was too li- Digital project planning enabled Taasinge mited; we couldn’t draw the wave shape Træ A/S, who took up the challenge of that we wanted. In the end we found a

Digital Solutions Before Bispebjerg Bakke began to take shape as a residential building in the Northwest area of Copenhagen, it already existed in a digital version: a 3D model, which all those involved in the project had helped develop. By finding a series of innovative, digital solu- tions – such as a design programme normally used in mobile phone technology – traditio- nal craft methods were aided and abetted by industrial ways of working.

54 55 design program called Inventor, which through the massive dome make Bispe- amongst other things is used to design bjerg Bakke a quite extraordinary place to mobile phones. Inventor could do things live. Inside the flats, as well, tenants are that the architectural program could not”. surrounded with special constructional de- Bjørn Nørgaard has this to say about the- tails, such as the semi-circular shower ca- se major digital advances: “By refusing to binets. The windows have been specially knuckle under and by making demands made for each flat, using wood from the based on sculptural and architectural con- South American jatobá tree, which has a siderations, we forced the computers to ruby-red sheen and a high content of pro- accomplish more than people thought tective oils. they could”. The pride of Bispebjerg Bak- ke is in the details, and innovative ap- proaches made it possible to incorporate To China in Search of Tiles challenging shapes into the building. One The balconies at Bispebjerg Bakke are good example of this is the staircases, also quite unique: luminous and robust which are crowned with unique concrete at the same time. They are clothed with domes. If you look up when ascending unique Chinese ceramic tiles in red and the stairs, at the very top your eye will be yellow – the same tiles that adorn the en- caught by an elliptical dome with a win- trance halls to the staircases. Bjørn Nør- dow to the sky. The firm of PL Beton in gaard, Jesper Holm and Torben Sørensen Rønne delivered these concrete domes, went to China to order the tiles in person. Chinese Tiles and Hardwood all cast as one piece in a wooden mould “I myself was lucky enough to have been Some 17,000 ceramic tiles have been used on the façades and balcony railings at Bi- cut according to a computer-designed in China to order these ceramic tiles. Even spebjerg Bakke. The wood of the jatobá tree (Brazilian Cherry), used for the windows model, which makes for great accuracy. the task of getting the Chinese to pro- at Bispebjerg Bakke, is especially hard and exceptionally durable. It is akin to oak and Details such as the window on the sky duce tiles in just the right colour was a its structure inhibits rot.

56 57 challenge: people at the Chinese factory technology, industrial products like con- more innovative because the idea of let- a development project, which our drawing could not understand that we wanted to crete and craftsmanship in the form of ting craft methods completely control the office has benefited greatly from”. Bispe- use this special red colour, which they brickwork and copper roofing. And then building process was abandoned. As Jes- bjerg Bakke has become a model for how would normally associate with art objects we’ve got ceramic tiles with a glazing per Holm puts it: “This is very interesting, one can combine the noble traditions of rather than buildings. So Bjørn explained more than a thousand years old, which because in fact the building has gained craftsmanship and industrial construction to them that our building was also a work at the same time represents the globali- both architecturally and in terms of indoor methods. As Klaus Bonde Larsen points of art”, explains Torben Sørensen. Bjørn sation layer, as the tiles are produced in climate by moving away from the sublime out, craftsmanship has in no way lost out Nørgaard had previously had a piece of China”. vision of craftsmanship to a more industri- in this process: “The building was control- sculpture made at this Chinese factory, so al approach, in the sense that it has been led by the contractors, but even so the old he knew that they were equal to the task. improved in a number of areas, the roof, techniques and quality materials of the He explains: “I knew that they could make Blessing in Disguise for example. The original idea was to con- craft tradition have been drawn in. The these tiles from drawings. We also have The vision of a full-brick building con- struct the roof by getting the carpenters to shape and appearance of the building are superb producers of ceramics in Denmark, structed by craftsmen carrying on their shape each individual beam or rafter and much as they were meant to be from the but they would not be able to reorganise traditions had to make way for concrete put them in place one by one. This is a start. None of us would have believed that themselves to produce these tiles, whe- sections and a construction process in very time-consuming process, and as the the building of Bispebjerg Bakke would in- reas the Chinese had the whole produc- which the building contractor exerted a whole thing is exposed to the weather, volve innovation, but this has turned out tion apparatus. There was some trouble certain influence. But even so, ambitions there is a real danger that the roof would to be the case. The concrete factories have getting them to make the tiles exactly as related to the use of craftsmanship came have been attacked by mould at some la- never before made the curving units they we wanted them, but we succeeded, not to have a decisive influence, so much so ter date. Not only that, it would have been have produced here. So in this way there least due to Torben Sørensen’s skills as a that changes in approach have in fact im- a very heavy roof in architectural terms. have been a whole lot of new products negotiator. These tiles have introduced proved the snake-shaped building. Today, Using the industrial approach, the roof was which can set the trend in the future. The one more layer into the building project. when those who have created Bispebjerg laid using complete roof sections which building could not live up to the vision that One of the major qualities of Bispebjerg Bakke look back on the project, they are were made indoors without the fear of the craftsmen could run the whole pro- Bakke is precisely that we have so many convinced that the building process was damp. So now we have this light roof con- cess with no help from the building con- layers. We have hi-tech, advanced digital enhanced and the building itself became struction and the whole process has been tractors, but in my view it lives up to the

58 59 vision that it should be more creative and even though the building was constructed stamped by high quality and strong craft otherwise than expected, we have suc- traditions”. Even Bjørn Nørgaard himself ceeded in preserving the correlation bet- is satisfied with the fact that Bispebjerg ween the external and the internal. “It has Bakke was not built by the work of men’s been a bit of an eye-opener that industrial hands alone: “Today I am really very much products can be more varied than what at ease with the fact that it isn’t one hund- we are used to. At the same time, the red percent craft built. I would still like to roof sections were made by carpenters make such a building, but right now it is and the copper roofing was done by the not possible to erect a building of this size roofers, so the building is quite definitely in that way – not least because it would the product of good craftsmanship”, says mean snapping up every single team of Bjørn Nørgaard. Peter Cederfeld is also bricklayers in Copenhagen! When the idea more than satisfied with this innovative of the full-brick building was abandoned, approach: “We have achieved the effect I was afraid that we would end up with Bjørn Nørgaard wanted, but on the basis of straight inner walls, which would have modern architecture and modern building been no joke, as the outer framework techniques. So this was a real boost to the would just have been a stage set. Now whole process and matched Realea’s stra- we have succeeded in making sure that tegy very well. Presented with the project the external architecture is mirrored in the today, I’m not sure that we would have way space is shaped within the flats. And supported it, because from our point of this is vital for the whole project, that we view there’s not much innovation in using not only have a building that is attractive old-fashioned craftsmanship techniques. when driving past, but which has unique But, as we have seen, innovation came in interior spaces”, says Bjørn Nørgaard. So, later in the process”.

60 61 Chapter 4 - A Strong Collaboration

62 63 A Strong the craftsmen, and the craftsmen have played a key role in the construction of the Collaboration building. There has been a constant focus When those who took part in the creation on dialogue. Torben Sørensen: ”In NCC we of Bispebjerg Bakke talk about the buil- have a lot of experience with partnering ding, their enthusiasm and commitment projects. I am used to being part of a pro- shine through constantly. It is the kind of cess where you involve building owners, project you are proud to have a share in. relevant contractors and suppliers in the This is evident, for example, at Carl Bro, most important decisions, so I have not where large wall displays showing the found it difficult to involve the different building decorate the wall in one of the players early in the process. It is important offices. But it also shows the eagerness of that you meet and discuss the job instead those involved to talk about the building, of just sending out an invitation to tender. explain the vision and point out the many That way you also get a feel for whether innovative solutions that have been rea- the social chemistry is right, and whether ched along the way. Bispebjerg Bakke is the other parties are committed enough the result of a very close and very open to take part in a collaborative venture that collaboration between different professi- may be different from what they are used ons. The artist and the architects have for- to. Here they have the opportunity to le- mulated thoughts together, the building ave their mark on the building right from owners have stayed close to the process, the start”. In the partnering model there and everyone involved has been united in is room for talking things through. Poul a partnering model. The collaboration with Erik Haurbæk: ”The model proposes that NCC is a continuation of the original idea if you are dissatisfied with what others about project design in collaboration with are doing, you should say so. That means

64 65 you don’t have to write each other angry appreciate working together. That goes letters. Quite often people talk nastily to for Torben Sørensen as well: ”I really ap- each other in the building business, and preciated the design process, when I wor- partnering is supposed to prevent that”. ked closely with the collaborators, building Poul Erik Haurbæk met once a week with owners, architect and engineer. We brain- Torben Sørensen, Jesper Holm and Adviser stormed, made jokes, presented ideas, to the Building Owners, Jørgen Bendiksen and you felt a huge commitment. It was from Kuben: ”There has been fantastic col- fun and exciting, and everyone had their laboration – also because the social chemi- heart set on this. And again and again it stry was right. The four of us, who repre- showed that this is not the work of just sented the different parties involved in the one man. Two and two suddenly came to project, were the project manager group five, and together we came up with the – corresponding to a company’s board of ultimate solutions”. directors”, says Poul Erik Haurbæk. The word dialogue keeps appearing when talking about the process of planning and Keeping Abreast building Bispebjerg Bakke. It is obvious At Bispebjerg Bakke the philosophy has that those involved like each other and been that it pays to do long-term plan-

Kuben Byggeplandata Kuben Byggeplandata was established in February 2004, when Kuben bought Bygge- plandata (established 1968). The company has more than 35 years of experience in ad- vising building owners on many different types of projects, for example the university building Nobelparken, the ARoS museum in Århus and the headquarters of HK and KL in Copenhagen. Jørgen Bendiksen is chief adviser at Kuben Byggeplandata.

66 67 68 69 ning. ”We deliberately chose to spend something that the engineer and the ar- quite a bit of money on detailed plan- chitect already considered to be settled. ning from the beginning, because in the Now we have turned it around, so that long run it is cheaper to discover pro- in the partnering process all parties par- blems while planning rather than having ticipate earlier in the process. The advan- to redo things on site in the middle of tage is that you don’t make mistakes. The the building process”, says Torben Søren- drawings are finalised once they reach sen. Bispebjerg Bakke was almost twice the building site, because everyone has as expensive to build as other NCC buil- seen and approved them. Those working dings. The price of the turnkey contract on the building on site also get a sense is about 20,000 Danish kroner per square of ownership. The carpenter who fits the metre. There has been an emphasis on window frames, for example, has been agreeing what the building should look directly involved in developing the fit- like before starting to build it. Poul Erik tings that are used”. At Bispebjerg Bakke Haurbæk says: ”The procedure used to be they also chose to use building materials that a number of engineer and architect and working methods that may make plans were drawn up and then handed the building more expensive to build, but over to the contractor, who would build which will save money in the long run. the building. Then the contractor would Bjørn Nørgaard emphasizes the impor- used materials that will last a long time. was the largest industrialized building in often come to you and point out details tance of planning ahead: ”We have had When you build industrially, you can re- Denmark in the early 1970s. It is a good that he thought were impossible to do. the opportunity to do something extra duce the price per square metre, but a lot example of the industrial way of thinking. That dialogue took place after the plans and will end up with a price per square of the buildings done that way need to The blocks were planned according to were done, which could give rise to ir- metre that is somewhat higher than the be renovated at a pretty high cost after how the cranes could move about most ritation among the different parties, 5,000 Danish kroner which some projects 15-20 years. I am a consultant for a resi- rationally. The problem is that concrete because the contractor wanted to change aim for. But on the other hand we have dential area, Vejleåparken, in Ishøj, which buildings don’t last but have to be reno-

70 71 vated again and again. This means that gen. The roofs were starting to leak, and over time the price per square metre has we had an engineer to advise us what become very high”. Klaus Bonde Larsen to do. He suggested that we put on tri- elaborates on the idea about preparing angular mouldings that have a 10 year Bispebjerg Bakke for lasting for many guarantee, because the natural slate that years: ”Many of the residential buildings was actually on it was too expensive. But owned by The Copenhagen Association of then a bright member of the board asked Crafts are between 60 and 100 years old, how long the old roofs had been there, but work fine today without having ne- and they had lasted more than 100 ye- eded a whole lot of renovating over the ars. So if you add it all up, they cost a lot years. On the contrary, a lot of modern less than the new solution. And this is the buildings have required renovation that idea that we have also had in relation to was almost more expensive than what it Bispebjerg Bakke. It may be that the solu- originally cost to build them. That is food tions we choose now are more expensive for thought. One example is the Associa- but they will pay for themselves in the tion’s building on Nørre Allé in Copenha- long run”. Bispebjerg Bakke is not only

The Copper Roof At Bispebjerg Bakke 8,200 square metres of copper have been used for the roof (an area the equivalent of a football pitch). 8-10 men have been continuously occupied creating the roof on site. Copper is a precious material, and it is considered to be an excellent material for roofing. It is pleasant to work with as it can be shaped and made soft. And finally it has a very unique colour that looks good both when the copper is first applied and in the long run.

72 73 supposed to last 100 years, it should also the way, but they have also had to accept age gracefully. That is why natural ma- that they couldn’t get everything they terials such as wood, bricks and copper wanted. This applies, for example, to the were chosen. They become patinated and surface of the roads between the buil- stay beautiful, even though they come to dings. Here they had originally planned a look different over time. clinker brick surface, but that wasn’t pos- sible, so we ended up with gravel. The building owners can then choose to chan- Challenges and Compromises ge the surface later if that is what they Despite the foresight in planning Bispe- want. And in this way the vision has con- bjerg Bakke, the building process has tur- tinuously been adapted to reality. When ned up some surprises. Torben Sørensen the artistic ambitions of Bjørn Nørgaard says: ”The cost of appliances and machi- and Jesper Holm have collided with the fi- nes on the building site that have been nancial good will of the building owners, used, for example, to mount the roof they have also had to change their vision. and façades is somewhat higher than Bjørn Nørgaard says: ”We didn’t want we expected. Primarily due to the fact partition walls in the apartments. We that ordinary machines couldn’t be used wanted to let each tenant decide where because the walls were curved. Only in the partitions should be, but we didn’t a few places, however, have things been succeed. We also had ideas about special, more complicated than we predicted. curved tiles for the bathrooms, but the But it still hurts economically: it mainly budget was too tight for that”. Flemming affects NCC’s finances, of course, but the Borreskov has this to say about the weig- building owners also suffer”. The building hing of artistic details against economics: owners have injected extra money along ”Artists and architects often want more

74 75 and more, but as a building owner you day have an idea of the vision behind it. have to force them to choose. That’s why And the building process depends on the we gave Bjørn Nørgaard special funds - craftsmen being enthusiastic and feeling six million Danish kroner – that he could that they are working on something vi- prioritize. Far from everything on his list sionary. Whenever a new group of craf- of wishes was carried out!”. tsmen started work here, we told them about the project in detail so that they knew the background. This has also be- The Unique Role of the Crafts- nefited me subsequently. When I go to men the site, people know me and we chat The first turf was cut at Bispebjerg Bakke and discuss details. It is a mutual learning in October 2004 and work was started on process, in which I share experiences with clearing the site and laying the founda- those working on the site. We have also tions. Since then, between 100 and 150 made it a priority to discuss the drawings people have worked on the site daily. The with them. That way we agreed how we originators of the project, site managers should build before making the final dra- and craftsmen have been in close contact wings. That whole dialogue has been an throughout the process. The craftsmen important part of the building process and have been continuously initiated into the makes it fun being here”. Throughout the ideas behind the building project, and process it has been important to him to the collaboration with those who were visit the site as often as possible. Among to build Bispebjerg Bakke has been es- other things this has made it possible sential to Bjørn Nørgaard. He says: ”It is for him to prevent mistakes. “One day, crucial to a project such as this one that for example, I discovered that they were those who work on the building every mounting the ventilator caps on the roof.

76 77 The caps were projecting high above the craftsmen and other professions: ”It has roof and that didn’t look right. We then been really, really good. Normally we managed to lower them five centimetres, don’t collaborate like that. Quite often so now it looks correct. But if you don’t you are handed a drawing on the site and visit the site, you don’t see that kind of you think: Why do they do it this way? thing. The fact that Jesper Holm, Torben In that sense it has been a really good Sørensen and I held our meetings here experience to be able to leave our mark on the site has been crucial. Sometimes on the building”. Also the collaboration it helps to open your eyes!” NCC is part with Bjørn Nørgaard worked well. ”When of the so-called BygSol – a collaboration he saw the brickwork starting to rise between educational institutions, compa- from the ground, he was so happy”, says nies and professional organisations that Kim Cordsen. And Bjørn Nørgaard is not have the common objective of creating the only one who is happy. It has been a new and improved building process. Klaus Bonde Larsen’s experience that the Besides the partnering model, NCC has craftsmen were generally very enthusia- also worked with Lean Construction and stic about working at Bispebjerg Bakke. the so-called BygLOK in connection with ”The eyes of the bricklayers shine, when Bispebjerg Bakke. ”BygLOK means lear- they talk about the building, and they ning from each other on the level of the take their families to see what they have craftsmen. They tell us how they expe- done. There is a lot of craftsman’s pride”, rience the building process and what he says. Kim Cordsen confirms this. The they would like done differently. And in atmosphere on the building site has been The Building Site the same way we tell them how we see really good, he explains. ”In the begin- Close to 20 different groups of craftsmen have worked at the building site. Initially, 25-50 things”, says Torben Sørensen. Kim Cord- ning the men on my team were scepti- people worked on the site, but almost 150 worked there in the most intensive phase of sen says about the collaboration between cal, because it was so different. But when the building process.

78 79 they started to see that it was possible, has received the ‘Award for Best Working they became very enthusiastic about Environment’, is one of the building sites what they were doing. And that lasted all that we are most proud of at NCC. Here the way through. It was our experience we have worked in a way fundamentally that we made something resembling art different from what is customary in the function as well as an industrial building business. At the Bispebjerg site we are process”. dealing with a very close collaboration between all those working there and a readiness to listen to everyone’s opinions Focus on Safety that historically the construction business Not just collaboration, but also safety does not have a tradition for”. Also Torben on the building site has received special Sørensen says that first-rate communica- attention. In December 2006, NCC was tion between the different professions awarded the ‘Award for the Best Working has meant an excellent working environ- Environment’ for Bispebjerg Bakke. By ment on the site and helped improve sa- taking preventative measures they suc- fety. ”NCC has a clear policy that we want we have worked with safety by arranging without accidents. We gathered people, ceeded in keeping the Bispebjerg Bakke to raise safety on the site. Therefore we information meetings every two weeks. had a cake baked and hoisted the flag. building site free of accidents. And at NCC have a safety representative that has no At these meetings we have mentioned That way people get a pat on the back they emphasize how unique the working other interests in the project (financial, for everything that wasn’t in order on the and confirmation that they are doing a procedures at Bispebjerg Bakke are. In re- example), but is there exclusively to take site. And we have celebrated the fact that really good job. On the other hand you lation to the award, the Head of Working care of safety. This means that when he is we have avoided accidents. have to be careful that workers don’t start Environment at NCC Construction, Kåre on site, he only focuses on safety issues. competing about being the one with the Christensen, said to the business inter- For us, good safety also pays. If people We have kept a record of the amount of fewest injuries to a degree where they net newspaper, ‘Ugens Erhverv’: ”The get hurt, they don’t come to work, and working hours without accidents, and we won’t tell you if they do get hurt!” building site at Bispebjerg Bakke, which that costs us a lot of money. Specifically, celebrated the anniversary of one year

80 81 Chapter 5 - Living on the Hill

82 83 Living on the Hill people could live in the building, and ar- rived at the ground rules that we’re now Slim columns in yellow and red brick. Bal- using. We have constructed circular cores conies in shiny glazing. And a copper roof that house bathrooms and ellipsoid ones that twists and turns – awaiting the green for the stairs and lifts. The cores provide colouring that time and the elements will a rhythm that runs through the building, bring. Bispebjerg Bakke is spectacular to making a reverse imprint on adjacent behold, but for Bjørn Nørgaard it was al- flats, thus helping to prevent the creation ways important that the building be spec- of uninterrupted rectangular spaces and tacular to live in; as we have said, the out- introducing organic forms into the buil- side and the inside had to be coherent. ding as convex and concave shapes. This Jesper Holm explains how the inside of also gives you spaces that not only make Bispebjerg Bakke was shaped: “In the be- external sense, but also internal.” ginning, we tried out the sculptural mo- del on the types of apartments we usu- Peter Cederfeld: ”Round shapes are not ally build, but that turned out to be pretty easy to furnish. Usually, the dining table hopeless. We then began to discuss how can only stand in one place, but it’s not

The Homes of Bispebjerg Bakke When the first show house event was held at Bispebjerg Bakke, about 3,500 people showed up to inspect this very different residential complex. The flats in Bispebjerg Bakke are between 85 square metres and 238 square metres in size, with monthly rents ranging from 8,197 to 24,504 Danish kroner. The flats are in one, two or three storeys, and all have a least one balcony.

84 85 like that here, and that of course presents people could buy modular cupboards and some challenges in terms of functiona- place them wherever they wanted”. Howe- lity. One could have chosen to let a desig- ver, minimalist kitchen or not, from the ner produce prototypes of furniture that outset there was overwhelming interest in match the particular shapes, but we have living at Bispebjerg Bakke. When an open left it up to people themselves, which in house day was held in May 2006, seve- fact means that entirely new ways of ex- ral thousand people turned up to see the pressing oneself become possible.” The- spectacular building with their own eyes. re was one area, though, where Realea Jørgen Bendiksen at Kuben, adviser to the chose to emphasise functionality. “We building owners, says about people’s reac- forced Bjørn Nørgaard and Jesper Holm tions: “Some were greatly challenged by to design more functional kitchens. The the curved and crooked shapes and said original concept was far too minimalist”, they’d never be able to fit their furniture in explains Peter Cederfeld. there, so it wasn’t right for them. Others, however, would say that this is so nice and Bjørn Nørgaard has this to say about the exciting and that they would love to live kitchen discussion: “The kitchens are one here, and that they’d be ready to change of the things we are a bit dissatisfied with. their furniture if they had to”. It was decided that in rental flats it was best to have these boring kitchens! Jesper It turns out that lots of people are willing to Holm and I had already developed what accept the challenge of the rounded sha- we called a minimalist kitchen, with a pes. From the beginning of January 2007, great solid plank counter, recessed bur- 125 out of 135 flats had been rented out. ners, and a sensible, well-designed sink. The first tenants moved into the snake in Moreover, we wanted to design it so that December 2006.

86 87 “No matter where you sit, you’ll with her boyfriend, Jesper Schmidt. Both 30 experience something new: years old, they used to live in her 35 square Nothing is static.“ metres one-room flat a stone’s throw from Ann Skov Sørensen, tenant here, near Emdrup Station. Now they (and their cat) can enjoy the space in their 89 square metres flat on the ground floor of Visiting the First Tenants Bispebjerg Bakke. For 8,300 Danish kroner It is almost Christmas. Although it is only a month, they get a bedroom, a bathroom, late in the afternoon, darkness already en- and a large room that contains both a kit- compasses the undulating buildings on Bi- chen with dining area, living room and of- spebjerg Bakke. But in several of the flats, fice. Malene recounts how they had not lighted Christmas trees and candles send a planned in advance how to furnish the clear signal: the first tenants of Bispebjerg flat. “We had to be here to figure out how Bakke have moved in. On 1 December to furnish it, because it is so different. And 2006, the tenants moved into 48 flats on we are nowhere near done furnishing yet. the hill next to the Farum railway line. The But we are very pleased with the round area between the buildings is still muddy, shapes, so it is important that they aren’t and the builders are still hard at work get- obscured”, she says. ting the remainder of the construction completed in time for the next batch of Even though Malene and Jesper still tenants. But in the smaller building and at aren’t fully settled, they already feel at one end of the big snake, the first tenants home. “It was actually cosy even before are unpacking crates and moving furniture we had furniture in the flat. I felt at home into place in the curved spaces. Malene straightaway, when I came here for the Billegrav Jespersen has moved in together first time. I also find peace of mind from

88 89 knowing that there has been a lot of fo- spebjerg Bakke is completed, and sum- cus on the construction, because then you mer comes. “It really is amazing here, are sure that it has been done well”, says and I believe that once they finish the Malene, who was carried away by Bispe- gardens, and everything becomes green bjerg Bakke’s innovative shapes from the again, this will become an oasis. There very beginning. aren’t any roads that pass close by“. As she speaks, as a fitting comment on Ma- “In the beginning, we looked at the web lene’s hopes for quiet surroundings, the site, which only showed us what the buil- train passes by right outside the window dings would look like on the outside. I – so quietly that all you hear is a faint was crazy about the roofs – just the fact whisper. that they are made of copper. It will turn all green in time. I also really like the win- At the completed end of Bispebjerg Bak- dows done in dark wood. We felt it was ke’s great snake, the Skov Sørensens have cool that you could live in the city, but moved in on the second floor. The family at the same time be somewhat secluded. consists of Ann (44), her husband Jørgen And in addition, you get a setting that no (42), and the children Nana (11), Thomas one else has. It is nice to be part of so- (7) and Maja (3). The family has moved mething that has been given this much from a 90 square metres flat in Århus. thought. It is great to live in a place that Now they have 151 square metres – and has a human touch, and isn’t just some for the first time the two oldest children cold concrete box”. have their own room.

Malene has great expectations as to what “It was somewhat by chance that we en- the surroundings will look like when Bi- ded up living here. We were out looking

90 91 for a house, and if we were to get one discover new constellations of arcs and with room for us all, it would cost us more straight lines. I don’t think you’ll ever than four million. So we then began loo- grow tired of that”. Ann adds: ”We were king for rentals, and ended up speaking fascinated by this use of innovative ang- with Kuben, who told us about Bispebjerg les. No matter where you sit, you’ll expe- Bakke“, Ann recounts. She and Jørgen had rience something new; nothing is static”. not heard about the project before, but they were thrilled with what they saw The children have christened Bispebjerg on the project web site, and they were Bakke ‘the wave houses’, but are more in- among the first to sign up for a flat. “We terested in enjoying the increased space. wanted to live here by the park where So far, the family is still settling in. Jørgen we can sit on the balcony and watch the says: ”Moving was quite chaotic, but it children play football. That was very ap- was rather fun that everybody was mo- pealing to us”. The flat has three balconies ving in at the same time, and it went sur- and two bathrooms. Facing out onto the prisingly well”. And yet, the family’s flat world there are massive, oblong window did have some teething troubles. “We’ve sections framed in dark wood, so that had problems with the heating, and one Ann and Jørgen can lie in bed and gaze of our drains was out of order. Neither the straight up into the treetops outside. Internet nor the television worked when we moved in. In that sense we are guinea Realdania Regarding Bispebjerg Bakke’s distinct ar- pigs. The issues they discover now can be Realdania was founded in 2000. The Realdania foundation initiates and supports pro- chitecture, Jørgen comments: ”It’s quite corrected before more people move in. jects in the building sector for the common good. By the end of 2006, Realdania was spectacular to look at. And indoors, it’s But we also experience a clear commit- involved in 309 projects and made grants of 2.1 billion Danish kroner. The foundation very exciting, as everywhere you turn, ment to solving the problems. The careta- is managed by Chief Executive Officer Flemming Borreskov, MA (Econ), and Executive new angles appear. You continuously ker does all in his power”, says Ann. And Director Hans Peter Svendler, Architect, MAA.

92 93 it definitely does present challenges when industry and the contractor, but Bispebjerg you move into a flat on a building site. For Bakke has nevertheless mostly been built instance, the family once had their oldest by craftsmen, who have been consulted daughter come home without out her throughout the process. The combination wellingtons, because they were stuck in of close cross-disciplinary collaboration and the mud! On the other hand, Thomas (7) digital planning has led to a construction is quite taken with the large excavators process with few errors and a high safety working on the site from early morning. level. And also to a building that sets new And Ann and Jørgen are also first and fo- architectural standards. As Flemming Bor- remost thrilled with their new home. “We reskov puts it: “I believe that Bispebjerg love living here”, Jørgen says. Bakke will set a new trend. The project de- monstrates how art and architecture can be integrated in an entirely new fashion Bispebjerg Bakke in the compared to 20th century practice. We’ve Northwest Area already seen architecture by people like When you look at Bispebjerg Bakke today, Frank Gehry and Daniel Liebeskind, who the buildings look surprisingly similar to are very expressive, work in new materi- the original drawings and Bjørn Nørga- als and tune the building into a work of ard’s clay model. Even though the con- art. But here we see it in a residential buil- struction process was redefined under- ding, and that has an impact on how we way, one innovative solution after another think about architecture and art. We have has made it possible to construct the buil- shown that it is possible to build in curves ding Bjørn Nørgaard and Klaus Bonde Lar- and angles at a reasonable price.” sen dreamt of. Craftsmanship alone was not able to cope without the assistance of The Northwest area of Copenhagen has

94 95 gained an iconic building that generated laboration between the original visionari- substantial interest even before it was es, the owners, and those who brought the completed. The Danish media have provi- building into being. New digital solutions ded massive coverage of Bispebjerg Bak- have emerged from the computers, and ke, and the publicity has generally been the craftsmen have been challenged by positive and enthusiastic. Along the way, twisting copper and round walls. Now the the hopes and dreams for Bispebjerg Bak- snake lies here, and the fine craftsmanship, ke have been challenged, and the artist, the handpicked materials, and the round, the architects and the building owner have undulating shapes must prove their worth. had to revise their visions. But the changes To realise the dream that for more than a in circumstances have mostly spurred on 100 years, everyday lives will be led in the innovation and strengthened the close col- building on Bispebjerg Bakke.

The Site and the Rearing Snake The site that Bispebjerg Bakke is built on slopes down more than 10 metres from the highest to the lowest point, and covers a total of 37,854 square metres. The Bispebjerg Bakke snake rises to 26 metres at its highest point, and is 9 metres tall at the lowest point on the roof.

96 97 Chapter 6 - Interview with Marie Vinther, MA in Art History

98 99 Interview with Marie Vinther, With Bispebjerg Bakke, the desire was not MA in Art History only to improve the quality of the com- pleted building, but also to enhance the Marie Vinther graduated with a master’s quality of the construction process itself. thesis titled: ‘Dreaming of a beautiful buil- The other goal was to blend art, architec- ding – an analysis of the Bispebjerg Bakke ture, craftsmanship and technology. The architectural project’. With the very am- ambition was to fuse the crafts into a sing- bitious ideas and goals presented in the le building, as one great organic union. Bispebjerg Bakke project as her starting point, she investigated how the original How were the ideas of the organic con- visions related to the actual construction struction brought to life? process. Marie Vinther followed Bispebjerg The collaboration between Bjørn Nørgaard Bakke right from the beginning and she and Jesper Holm has in itself been orga- has in particular focused on the collabora- nic in the sense that they each have built tion between Bjørn Nørgaard and Jesper upon the other’s ideas. Early in the pro- Holm. The thesis is scheduled for publica- cess, Bjørn chose to work in clay, which is tion during 2007. a method he brings from his craft and is an unconventional element in the architectu- What were the goals for Bispebjerg ral process. Bakke? There were two overall goals. One was Clay is an organic, sensuous material that promoting fine craftsmanship, a vision can be plied and shaped with a flexibility founded on dissatisfaction with modern that you do not have when working with construction practices where there is little rulers and cardboard models. Clay is an focus on the durability of the buildings. ancient, ‘low-tech’ material, but curiously

100 101 enough, it has led to modern, hi-tech so- How was the ambition to promote crafts- lutions. At first glance, a clay model seems manship realized? banal and elementary, but to be able to It turned out somewhat differently than create the building expressed by the mo- imagined in the beginning. I think one del, digital methods and systems, which can safely say that they had some rather have advanced the technical state of the romantic notions about the craftsmen art, had to be developed. So the lump producing everything on site as in the of clay has paradoxically made the pro- old days. But the project has been conti- ject more innovative and complex than nuously adjusted – for example by aban- originally imagined. Over and above the doning the idea of using full-brick walls design process, the organic element is ex- without prefabricated sections. However, pressed in the winding, expressive body of the goal of placing craftsmanship strong- the building that forms a long ornamental ly in the centre of the picture throughout progression. The building has been divided the construction has not been lost. into modules, and in combination with the roof, which almost seems to gyrate, this One could argue that some symbolic sig- generates a rhythm that harmonizes with nificance has been lost by using brick fa- the topography of the location. There was cing, but on the other hand this change of a desire to reintroduce the ornamental plans led to devising a new way of produ- factor into construction; to create a visual cing concrete elements, and it has been readability that enables both residents and done in a way that remains faithful to the passers-by to relate to the architecture as original design. At the same time, the pleasant and welcoming. copper roof is one example of how tra- ditional craftsmanship has been carried forward and developed, thereby demon-

102 103 strating that the crafts have extraordinary focussed on the collaboration between resources. The building, therefore, does architect and artist, and on the framework not only reflect tradition, but also projects of ideas the project is based on. My ana- an image of a renewed industrialisation, lysis shows that both Bjørn Nørgaard and since craftsmanship has been combined Jesper Holm have approached the task with new technical skills, thereby expan- with an open mind, and in my experience ding the current capabilities of industrial this also goes for the other contributors. construction. The early sketches, which I examine one by one in my thesis, show that Nørga- ard and Holm were both willing to com- How do the visions for Bispebjerg Bakke promise to reach the optimal solution. correspond to reality? Neither of them could have achieved this Generally, I think that they have suc- without the other. The overall design of ceeded in realizing the overall objec- the building is therefore a result of their tive of blending the various crafts. This collaboration. has been the case from the idea phase through the construction process and in the completed building. There are some What traditions does Bispebjerg Bakke areas where the results have been dif- carry forward? ferent than expected, but in my opinion, In terms of ideas, the construction is using the partnering approach was a very founded on a number of traditions that good idea. This is a way of organising the thrived in 18th century Britain and in the process that fits in nicely with the idea of inter-war period in Germany, where there integrating the various professions in the was a focus on craftsmanship and on the construction of Bispebjerg Bakke. I have connection between the social and the

104 105 apparent in the building’s surface in the Nørgaard has been involved right from form of a wealth of details. So the project the beginning – he even took part in con- is pervaded by the concept of the social ceiving the original idea. Frequently, the being inextricably connected with the visual arts are added to something that aesthetic. This building is also a rejection has already been created: a sculpture is of a modernist trend to discard any form placed in front of an entrance; or a pain- of tradition. Bispebjerg Bakke shows that ting hung in a hall. Bispebjerg Bakke will some traditions are worth preserving. We hopefully – with a different, sculpture-like are not talking about uncritical or mind- architecture that people will like – pave less servitude to tradition here, but about the way for new, enriching collaborative forming a living process that provides in- endeavours between artists on one hand novation, and thereby leads to progress. and the many players of the construction process on the other.

What artistic impact do you think Bispe- bjerg Bakke will have? I think that many sculptors dream of par- ticipating in a project like this – as it is an opportunity to work on a really ma- jor scale. One can only hope that this will aesthetic. With Bispebjerg Bakke, the ap- the completed building. Bjørn Nørgaard lead to an increasing willingness to invol- proach has been that if the craftsmen are once said that form is very much a que- ve artists at an earlier stage in the con- enthusiastic about the project and are stion of morals. According to this school of struction process. There is nothing new in continuously able to influence the con- thought, the commitment and job satis- involving artists in architectural projects, struction process, this will be reflected in faction of each craftsman will be directly but what is exciting here is that Bjørn

106 107 Bispebjerg Bakke - the Story of the Bispebjerg Snake

© Realea A/S 2007 Written by: Signe Kierkegaard Cain Translated by: Jacob Riis, Michael Cain and Signe Kierkegaard Cain

Photoindex: Jakob Bekker-Hansen (13, 17, 27, 33, 35, 36, 43, 50, 53, 57, 61, 65, 66, 71, 75, 76, 93, 94, 96, 102), Torben Eskerod (cover, 11, 55, 58, 85, 86, 89, 101, 105, 106), Jesper Holm(14, 21, 38-39), Martin Meyer Nielsen, Ocular (90), Bjørn Nørgaard (18, 45, 68, 81), Realda- nia (22, 30, 49, 72) and photos borrowed from Kuben

Graphical design and layout: Jakob Bekker-Hansen, 300dpi.dk

2. edition UK ISBN/EAN 978-87-990883-7-9

Printed by Clausen Offset ApS, Odense