Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter to design new tower landmark at Aarhus Harbor in Denmark

Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter won the competition to design the new tower landmark for Aarhus Harbor in Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark. The firm's origami-like structure beat out proposals from some of Denmark's biggest architects like BIG, schmidt hammer lassen, and Cebra.

On top of that, DMA won another design competition earlier this month for the University of Lund in Sweden.

Completion of the new tower is expected in 2014.

DMA project description:

"The jury characterizes the winning project as a “architecturally superior solution” to the task at hand. The tower is shaped like a sharp origami cut, urban sculpture with a significant architectural expression. The white steel tower will stand out as a glowing landmark giving identity to the area and act as a point of reference and meetings in this new part of the city.

The tower creates a lively route from the quayside to the viewing platform 7.5 meters above. The visitor is lead below the expressive cantilevered body of the tower, to a position hovering above the reflective water surface of the harbor."

"The movement continues upwards via a spacious staircase fitted for seating - offering magnificent panoramic views of the harbor and the bay. The journey culminates at a spacious and sheltered viewing platform above the treetops of the boulevard. Aarhus will gain a beautiful and significant landmark celebrating vision and social encounters at the edge of the water. The structure is made of welded steel plates, produced in a shipyard and sailed to the site."

All images courtesy of Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter.

Click the thumbnails below for project diagrams.