Norway Church

En 2009, la vieille église de Valer, petite ville du sud-est de la Norvège, avait disparu sous les flammes. Le studio Cebra basé à Copenhague a proposé une nouvelle architecture pour l’édifice qui doit être construit au même endroit. Un parti-pris visuellement impressionnant, à découvrir en images dans la suite.

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Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

A team of architects including Belgian studio JDS Architects and Danish firm CEBRA are close to completing this harbour-side housing development modelled on a cluster of floating icebergs in Denmark (+ slideshow).

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

Due to be inaugurated this spring, the complex is one of the first projects underway at De Bynære Havnearealer, the new docklands quarter of Aarhus that is set to accommodate 7000 inhabitants and around 12,000 new workplaces once complete.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

JDS and CEBRA teamed up with Dutch studio SeARCH and French architect Louis Paillard to design the buildings, which have been collectively titled Isbjerget, or “The Iceberg”, in reference to their jagged white forms.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

These volumes are described by the architects as a series of “peaks and valleys” that are deliberately tapered to create visual corridors between buildings.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

Over 200 apartments are located within the four L-shaped wings of the complex, including two-storey townhouses in the lower levels and penthouses located on the uppermost floors.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

The architects won a competition to design the Isbjerget complex in 2008.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

A number of large developments are in progress in Denmark’s docklands, as ADEPT and Luplau & Poulsen are working on another harbour-side housing project in Aarhus, while Tredje Natur and PK3 have redesigned Copenhagen’s harbour with a series of artificial islands. See more architecture in Denmark.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

Photography is by Mikkel Frost, apart from where otherwise indicated.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

Above: photograph is by Søren Kjær/Aarhus Luftfoto

Here’s some more information from the architects:


Isbjerget (the Iceberg) is located at at a prime location on the outmost harbour front in Aarhus’ new quarter ‘De Bynære Havnearealer’. Like many other industrial harbour fronts, the former container port of Aarhus is being transformed into a dynamic new neighbourhood. Isbjerget is among the first projects to be finished in an area that on completion will be home to 7,000 inhabitants and provide 12,000 workplaces. Its total site area of 800,000 m2 makes it one of Europe’s largest harbour front city developments.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

The inspiration for Isbjerget originated primarily from the site’s extraordinary location. Isbjerget is laid out as four L-shaped wings, where the street spaces in between open towards the water. In order to obtain optimal daylight conditions and views over the bay, the building volumes are cut up by jagged lines. The roofs rise and fall into peaks and valleys, which create visual passages that across the individual volumes – like floating icebergs that constantly refract one’s gaze. Thus, even the back wing’s residents can enjoy the view.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

The varying and spectacular forms that derive from this simple algorithm make it possible to fit a varied range of different dwelling types within the complex – from two-storey ‘town houses’ and affordable smaller flats to exclusive penthouses in the peaks of the iceberg. The variety of residences with different balconies, shapes and orientations as well as the combination of owner-occupied and rented flats aim at creating socially diverse urban surroundings that form a lively local community: the building complex becomes a neighbourhood instead of a mere series of housing blocks.

Isbjerget by JDS Architects, CEBRA, SeARCH and Louis Paillard

Name: Isbjerget (The Iceberg)
Commission: Private
Type: Lead consultancy
Category: Residential
Client: Pension Danmark

Place: Pier 2, Aarhus, DK
Year: 2008 – 2013
Purpose: 208 flats (both rented and owner-occupied)
Size: 22.000 m2
Budget: DKK 300m / € 40,2m excl. VAT
Prize: Competition 1st prize
Service: Architectural services incl. landscape Architects: CEBRA, JDS, SeARCH and Louis Paillard Collaboration: NCC, Tækker R.I. and Hamiconsult

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SeARCH and Louis Paillard
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Skidome Denmark by CEBRA

Danish architecture studio CEBRA has revealed a proposal for a snowflake-shaped ski dome that would be the biggest in the world, with three kilometres of slopes arching over a river in the Danish city of Randers.

Skidome Denmark by CEBRA

Designed by CEBRA for the ski travel agency Danski, Skidome Denmark would have six indoor and two outdoor slopes on its three centrally connected arches, which resemble a six-armed snowflake.

Skidome Denmark by CEBRA

If constructed, each arch would stretch 700 metres across the river Gudenåen, with the highest arch rising 110 metres above the ground. The biggest ski dome in the world at present is in Dubai – but at 22,500 square metres, Ski Dubai would be easily eclipsed by the 70,000 square metre Skidome Denmark if it goes ahead.

Skidome Denmark by CEBRA

Unlike most indoor ski slopes, which tend to be built with few or no windows, the Skidome would have a perforated facade to give skiers a view over the surrounding river and meadows.

Skidome Denmark by CEBRA

The topography of the six slopes is based on the most popular pistes of the Alpe d’Huez ski resort in France, but the architects say the slopes could be altered over time to give skiers a different experience on each visit.

Skidome Denmark by CEBRA

The Skidome is also intended to be a useful addition to the city’s wider infrastructure. ”We have placed and designed the ski dome over the river to connect the different neighborhoods in the town of Randers,” said Danksi representative Simon Oscar Andersen. “Actually, we give a whole lot to the city – the world’s biggest ski dome, and a whole new connection across the river, which solves a lot of infrastructural problems for the city.”

Skidome Denmark by CEBRA

The Skidome would also offer facilities for skateboarding and BMXing, as well as a landscaped park on the roof.

Skidome Denmark by CEBRA

Earlier this year we reported on CEBRA’s proposal for a science and technology centre full of curving green ramps inside a former mineral water bottling plant in Copenhagen.

Images are from CEBRA.

See all our stories about winter sports »
See all our stories from Denmark »

Here’s some more information from the architects:


Danish architecture practice CEBRA has designed Skidome Denmark – a vision for the world’s biggest ski dome in the city of Randers for ski travelling agency Danski. The proposal offers over 3 km of indoor and outdoor slopes, freestyle park, hotel, restaurant and shops, covering a total area of 100.000 m2.

CEBRA’s ambitious proposal consists of three centrally connected arches, which resemble the basic shape of a six-armed snowflake. The arches each span 700 m across the river Gudenåen and the top arch’s highest point rises 110 m over ground, creating a distinctive landmark for the entire region, bringing a piece of the Alps to Denmark.

The basic idea of Skidome Denmark is to share and pass on the joy of skiing to the Danes by creating spectacular indoor facilities that bring skiers as close as possible to the experience of hurtling down a mountain side in the Alps. In order to meet this ambition, the architects have been inspired reversely, so to speak. Most ski domes around the world are designed from the inside with no or very few windows. However, an essential part of the skiing experience consists in being able to enjoy the surrounding scenery. The proposal’s high-rise composition of three arches combined with a filigree façade structure allows for spectacular views over Randers and the river-meadow area.

Skidome Denmark brings, quite literally, a piece of the Alps to Denmark: The slopes are developed in association with Alpe d’Huez ski resort in France, and the gradients are copied directly from the most popular pistes. The arches contain a total of six slopes with real snow and varying degrees of difficulty, so that skiers of all ages will be able to find challenges according to skills and experience. Every piste has its own chair lift and the three arches are conjoint by an elevator for transporting skiers between the different levels. In order to ensure variation in the landscape over time, it is possible to transform the pistes’ topography, providing visitors with a different experience each time they visit the ski dome.

Besides its primary function as a ski park, the vision for Skidome Denmark is designed to form an addition to Randers’ infrastructure, connecting the city across the natural barrier formed by the river Gudenåen. It is the aim of the concept that the dome can be used and enjoyed by everyone – any time of the day, any time of the year. Thus, the arches’ exterior roof surfaces are an integrated part of the design equal to the interior ski slopes. The top arch’s roof offers two black pistes, allowing outdoor skiing even during the summer. The middle arch is shaped like an urban playground with street sport facilities for skateboarding, BMX etc., while the bottom arch has a green landscape roof, which like a raised city park invites to a wide range of leisure activities.

Name: Skidome Denmark
Commission: Private
Client:  Danski
Type: Conceptual proposal
Location: Randers, DK
Area:  100,000 m2
Max. capacity: 3000 guests
Facilities: 6 indoor and 2 outdoor ski slopes (total length of 3020 m), 1 freestyle park
Hotel, restaurant, bar, shops
Public street sports park and green park

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by CEBRA
appeared first on Dezeen.