Kalvebod Brygge Vest

Tenacity brings a spectacular new edition to Copenhagen in an area that had otherwise been given up as a lost cause. On a long stretch of land along the railway line, there will be plenty of room, air and sustainability at multiple levels.

Kalvebod Brygge has a tarnished reputation: the harbour promenade has been accused of being unambitious and ugly, its large domiciles piled up on an otherwise beautiful location right by the waterfront and close to the vibrant urban life of Vesterbro.

But that is to change with an ambitious new master plan for Kalvebod Brygge Vest, lead by architecture studio Dorte Mandrup.

First, spacious green recreational areas will tie the area together to build a noteworthy and liveable neighbourhood on this last part of Kalvebod Brygge. Naturally, expectations are high for the area that will accommodate the largest hotel in the Nordic region, an urban IKEA warehouse, a park and two spectacular residential towers.

With Kaktustårnene – or The Cactus Towers – BIG finally returns with its first residential project in Copenhagen since the celebrated Ørestad trilogy. The spiked silhouettes of the 60- and 80-metre-tall student housing buildings have a hexagonal core with rotated floor plates and staggered balconies.

When the flats need to be decorated, IKEA is only a bike ride away and, unlike the bland warehouses usually associated with the Swedish furniture giant’s stores, the Mandrup version will have translucent façade elements, a rooftop trail system and even a public park.