Creation of a new, inspiring courtyard and construction of an addition to the Klarahus Care Center in Nørrebro
- Address
- Agnes Henningsens Vej 1-3, Copenhagen
Info
- Client
- Copenhagen Municipality’s Health and Care Administration
- Area
- 250 m²
- Architect
- Anders Jørgensen Architects and Krydsrum Architects
- Project Period
- 2017–2018
- Contractor
- Kjær Knudsen
- Construction Cost
- 15.3 million DKK
Nature of the Project
The project involves the creation of beautiful new courtyard areas, called Klarahave, as well as a new, attractive addition featuring an “outdoor” kitchen, at the existing Klarahus nursing home. The new courtyard and extension serve as an entrance area and common space for the care center’s residents; as part of the project, improved access has been provided, including a new concrete ramp.
The care center, located in the heart of De Gamles By in Nørrebro and operated by the City of Copenhagen’s Health and Care Administration, is spread across three buildings totaling seven stories, housing 114 care units, along with a communal lounge, staff facilities, a kitchen, and more.
The addition, which covers approximately 250 m², is called the “green lunchbox” because the upper half of the structure features biotopes on the facade, as well as a green, planted roof. The lower part of the addition is constructed of steel with floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the entire building a bright, open, and inviting appearance.
The new production kitchen is connected to the rest of the building via two glass walkways and a central core that houses the less aesthetically pleasing necessities, including dishwashing, storage, and refrigeration and freezer rooms, among others.
Since several trees had to be cut down on the construction site to make room for the addition, it was decided to design the building to resemble a tree canopy, with the upper part covered by a living wall, and the lower section opens the building up to the outside world, creating the impression of being “outdoors.”
The facade structure itself has no load-bearing elements; instead, the building is supported by three columns resembling tree trunks that hold up the large, green tree canopy aloft, creating the illusion that you are walking beneath the tree canopy as you enter the building. The plants on the outdoor wall are a mix of various sedum plants and grass species. This gives the living wall a vibrant and ever-changing appearance that delights the eye year-round.
The green installations are automatically watered by rain and are also part of the building’s stormwater management project, in which water from the entire care center’s roof areas—which would otherwise end up in the sewer system—is instead collected in large tanks. As a result, the production kitchen at Klarahus is the first building in the country with facades that contribute to climate resilience in its surroundings, as it helps relieve pressure on the local sewer system.
The project has thus created a beautiful, green environment in De Gamles By that both serves the building’s necessary functions and makes the care center more user-friendly for residents, while the building’s attractive bio-facades help make the area better prepared to tackle climate change. The project received an architectural award from the City of Copenhagen in 2019.
