The Royal Danish Embassy in Berlin

With the Royal Danish Embassy in Berlin, 3XN has created a building capable of exuding embassadorial dignity, as well as a space filled with light and life, reflecting the Danish spirit.

Af Kirsten Kiser

The Royal Danish Embassy consists of two volumes: one undulating and “soft”, covered in copper plates outside and ashwood inside, the other “sharp” and clad in steel. These two volumes are separated by a large panopticon space vertically running through the building.

The building is one of contrasts. The mixture of organic shapes and shapes that are sharp; of soft and hard materials, and of hot and cold surfaces accentuates the architectural idea.
— Kim Herforth Nielsen, 3XN

The “soft” volume follows and repeats the louvered organic form characteristic of the entire Nordic embassy complex. The curved wood-louvered wall facing the Assembly Hall is tapered inward towards the top, creating a sharper tension between the two volumes. The “sharp” volume stands as a prismatic sharp object, in contrast to the “soft” volume.

The broad opening, topped by a balcony bearing the Danish coat of arms, is an inviting entrance to the front hall and reception area from the embassy complex’s inner plaza. The facade is covered in perforated stainless-steel panels, which gives the building a transparent look.

Like the other Nordic buildings in the complex, the copper bands form one of the facades, though a glass facade faces the public area at the end of the panopticon space.