Ever stopped to wonder how urban life blends architecture and sustainability? That’s exactly what the BLOX ALIVE Sculpture embodies here in Copenhagen. BLOX itself is a multifunctional building. It sits right on Copenhagen’s central harbor front.
BLOX opened its doors in 2018. The private association Realdania funded it. Realdanias subsidiary Realdania By & Byg built it. The book about BLOX tells its full story. Kristoffer Lindhart Weiss is the author. It is 256 pages long.
The BLOX ALIVE Sculpture is part of this vibrant mix. BLOX focuses on urban life. It emphasizes architecture and sustainability. You will find exhibitions and events here. There are also cafes and shops. People come to play, work out, live, work and even park.
Designed by Dutch architects OMA, BLOX has become a cultural hub. It is more than just a building. It is about discovering its site. The Old Brewery site was once divided by one of Copenhagen’s main ring roads. The design of the new DAC identified it.
Straddling the road, BLOX connects different parts of the city. It links the parliament district and the harbor front. Culture now thrives at the water’s edge. A space once dominated by cars now welcomes people. A place to simply pass through has become a place to stay.
Copenhagen’s inner harbor has a rich industrial past. The building site once housed brewery buildings. These burnt down in the 1960s. The harbor is now home to architectural icons. These showcase Danish Modernism. They display monumentality, simplicity and politeness.
BLOX brings a new energy. It creates a meeting point. It links the waterfront, Kierkegaard’s Square and the city itself. Its square shape is right on the harborside. This creates a sheltered public square. It provides a built front for the existing library square.
The building absorbs the city’s life. Urban routes through the building encourage interaction. You will find unexpected links between the building and the city. These connect museums, libraries and historical sites. A linear park flows along the harbor. It goes below water level along the quay wall and through the building.
Notice the geometric forms. They are stacked in different arrangements. Offices are in a glass ring shaded in white. The ground floor has separate volumes creating public entrances. These draw the city into the building’s center. Apartments are fragmented. They are recessed for privacy. Landscaped terraces encircle the DAC’s central rooflight. The building’s colors mirror the sea tones of the harbor. The water reflects light.
The Danish Architecture Center forms the core of BLOX. It is surrounded by housing, offices and parking. It runs as a vertical sequence of spaces. It starts below ground. It moves upwards to the cafe. There is a great view over Copenhagen.
BLOX has a broad sustainability vision. This includes energy, carbon and resource issues. It also addresses social and economic impacts. The building uses on-site renewable energy. User comfort and lifetime flexibility are key. The building is insulated from road noise. The office facades are glazed to reduce lighting energy.
Don’t miss the exhibitions. Bryghuspladsen often hosts free exhibitions in front of BLOX. These have included a piece of the Berlin Wall and art installations. You can also challenge your senses with the DAC Slide. It is a 40-meter long slide down four floors. It leads to the DAC Design Shop.
The playable tribune incorporates slides, trampolines and nets. Children can jump, climb and scramble. Seats allow parents to watch. In the evening, the tribune transforms into a stage. The vertical play element echoes the colors of Danish housing.
The BLOX ALIVE Sculpture. It is more than art. It is an invitation. It is a call to engage with the city. It is a challenge to think about architecture and sustainability.