All Along the Waterfront - Denmark’s Nykredit

Danish architecture is world-renowned. This small country has more qualified architects per capita than any other. Strangely, however, Denmark’s architects have always enjoyed their best successes abroad. Structures such as Utzon's Sydney Opera House and von Sprekelsen's Grande Arche at La Defense, Paris have become international standards.

Until now, Copenhagen had few such prizes to boast of but the buoyant economy of the 90s released funds for a number of striking developments on the Copenhagen waterfront. One such project is the Nykredit building.

At the start of 1998, finance company Nykredit invited a number of architects to participate in a competition aimed at finding the best design for its new Head Office. The winner, against stiff competition, were architects Schmidt, Hammer and Lassen, who presented a building with front and back façades made entirely of glass.

Nykredit wanted a building of high architectural quality and their architects have more than matched their demands. The result is an arresting building, which in its subdued and Scandinavian way shouts quality. Only half the building is used as office space; the rest is given to a large, open atrium with a glazed façade.

The building’s northeast and southwest sides are defined by 24 horizontal ribs of granite, two per floor. By day these ribs serve to give definition to an otherwise virtually transparent building, effectively framing the structure of glass. With the onset of night however the architects’ clean lines were disrupted by the sporadic mosaic of light and shadow spilling from the offices inside. A creative lighting solution was required to restore the architects’ daytime design.

The architects turned to Martin Danmark to see what they could offer. Architectural Sales Manager Peer Østergaard drew up a plan that called for 32 Exterior 600 luminaires. The plan was to illuminate the two sides of the building. By carefully highlighting the granite ribs the building’s sleek geometry could be maintained even with the onset of darkness. The Exterior 600’s CMY color system allows unlimited choice of coloring with smooth, slow fades. This enables the lighting to respond intelligently to the ever-fluctuating levels of natural light, so that the building is never over-exposed.

Martin Danmark’s Peer Østergaard drew parallels with the world of film: “The point of lighting a film set is to make it look as natural as possible. Film sets are always illuminated but you rarely see it as such. It’s only when the lights are missing that you notice the difference. The same applies to architecture. By using light we only aim to bring out the inherent qualities of the building, not to mask it.”

“Obviously this goes against the grain of traditional effect lighting. We’re not using the building as a projection screen. That’s one way, but here we’re aiming to support and enhance what the architect has already created. It’s more a question of listening to and working with the architect.”

Working closely with the architects and Nykredit, an optional program was devised that uses the company’s own corporate blue to wash the building and consolidate their company identity. Neither was Nykredit abashed at using the more theatrical aspects of the Exterior 600; cascades of changing color have been pre-programmed for New Year’s Eve using the calendar function of the ProScenium control. And at the touch of a button further quick-fire light shows can be triggered for VIP visits.

A challenge that tested the ingenuity of Martin Danmark’s design team was how to recess the 32 Exterior 600s. Their presence was deemed disruptive both aesthetically and physically, since they impeded access in a public thoroughfare. The solution was to bury the Exteriors in purpose-built wells that were designed to withstand the flooding that comes with the annual rise in the water table.

The first challenge was that the metal grid covering the wells had to be both robust enough to bear the weight of a truck but fine enough to let the passage of light unimpeded. Secondly the fixtures had to be easily accessible and removable for servicing. For this a customized bracket was devised that allows the fixture to be quickly and easily detached. And there were safety considerations, apparently even for the bare-footed pedestrian. Regulations stipulated that the temperature of the metal grid, just 10 cm away from the lens, could not exceed 60° C.

Inside the building there are other features that have been enhanced by Martin effect lighting. As a contrast to the glass and steel the architects have interspersed the building with a number of stylized plant beds. Like herbaceous sculptures, their effect relies on an abundance of green foliage that, without an injection of artificial light, would quickly wither.

The solution is as ingenious as it is elegant. Dispersed among the plants and protruding from the soil are light-bearing acrylic pillars. Cubic in shape, the columns emit light from two sides only. The other sides are transparent, allowing the viewer to peer right through. This fascinating effect has been achieved by sandblasting the two light-emitting surfaces. Once roughened, the acrylic surfaces refract and emit a warm white light that nurtures the thick plant growth. The pillars are powered by the versatile Martin FiberSource QFX 150, buried within the soil. The result is the perfect union of form and function - a work of art that works.

The aesthetics of the interiors are further enhanced by another work of art specially commissioned by Nykredit; seamlessly integrated into the architecture is a large water sculpture executed by Danish artist Anita Jørgensen. More used to working with traditional materials, Jørgensen here incorporated Martin effect lighting into her striking composition of glass, water, and light. The sculpture features a glass waterwall and two recessed Exterior 600s that in a subtle way help texture the glass and bring the water to life with fading shades of blue. Excited by the artistic potential of the Exterior 600s, Jørgensen played lighting designer herself and programmed them to paint occasional split-second color snaps.

Control for the whole lighting installation takes the form of ProScenium, which allows Nykredit’s staff full interactivity through its touchscreen interface.