Bispebjerg Bakke (building)

Bispebjerg Bakke
Bispebjerg Bakke from the side
General information
Type	residential
Architectural style	Modern
Location	Bispebjerg
Construction started	2004
Completed	2006
Owner	Realea
Technical details
Structural system	Masonry
Floor count	3–9
Floor area	14,900 square metres (160,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Bjørn Nørgaard Boldsen & Holm
Structural engineer	Carl Bro

Bispebjerg Bakke is an apartment complex in the Bispebjerg district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was designed by leading Danish sculptor Bjørn Nørgaard.

The idea of building Bispebjerg Bakke was conceived in 1997 by Klaus Bonde Larsen, chairman of the Copenhagen Association of Crafts, and Professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and sculptor Bjørn Nørgaard. Both sat on the Committee for the Protection of Traditional Craftsmanship (Udvalget til sikring af traditionelle håndværk), which had been appointed by the Minister of Culture and the Minister of the Environment. The idea was to demonstrate that good buildings, in terms of design, craftsmanship and materials, can compete with today’s industrialized construction industry.

The small architectural practice Boldsen & Holm, with which Nørgaard had previously collaborated on Dahlerups Plads on the Copenhagen waterfront, was brought in as architects. The first models were executed in clay and Nørgaard has mentioned music as a source of inspiration for the design. Due to the unusual collaboration between artist and architect, the Realdania foundation decided to support the project and later in the process Realea, Realdania's subsidiary property company, took over the role of building owner.

The initial ambition to prove that it was possible to construct high quality buildings with traditional craftsmen instead of contracting firms and industrial building methods had to be moderated along the way. In the end. NCC was hired and concrete sections had to be introduced.

Construction started in August 2004 and the building was completed in 2006.

Bjørn Nørgaard was inspired by music when he made the first model of the complex which he moulded in clay. It consists of two buildings that wind like a serpent down the sloping site. The buildings are generally three to four storeys high, in places rising to eight storeys. The complex contains a total of 135 apartments.