junya ishigami + associates and Svendborg Architects win House of Peace competition in Copenhagen

Despite the constant chaos happening throughout the world, the values of peace and coexistence will stand strong. Based on this notion, the HOPE Foundation in Denmark recently concluded their House of Peace competition, which sought the best concept for a new peace landmark to be built on an artificial island in Copenhagen's harbor.

junya ishigami + associates and Svendborg Architects had the winning design in the invited competition. The winning team drew inspiration from none other than Mother Nature.

Read more about the proposal below.

Project description:

"House of Peace - Opens the mind – embraces the world: The House of Peace is a symbol of peaceful coexistence. It positions itself in its surroundings as a landmark that conspicuously reveals itself to the outside world.

At the same time it harmoniously embeds itself to the sites proportions, future buildings and the connection to the harbor and the water. House of Peace provides a journey of the senses. It creates an environment where people can open up to think of peace. House of Peace takes one back to the purity of being - ready to embrace the world."

"Cloud as roof, water as floor: The cloud shaped sculpture becomes both roof and wall. The water surface will serve as the floor. These two important elements make an interior space appear on this location. The space is thus always filled with new influences and will never twice be experienced as the same."

"In the main room the visitors can board circular boats and enter the silence of the water surface. The boats are floating seemingly effort- less like leaves or water lilies on water.

Chairman of the HOPE Foundation, designer and architect, Morten Langebæk says: “junya.ishigami+associates and Svendborg Architects’ unique winning proposal meets every bit of the vision of our project. This is noth- ing less than an architectural masterpiece. A fascinating, poetic building and an obvious symbol of peace – at the same time a building, a sculpture and a symbol. The work is from the outside an expression of a snow-white cloud that seems to float on the water..."

"'...In its own way it brings nature and the countryside into the city and stands as a positive and welcoming landmark that is obviously related to the concept of peace. The inside of the building is carefully designed to exploit the water and its movements, reflections and color, light and shadow. The result is deeply fascinating and at the same time peaceful. A space you will certainly want to visit again and again. A masterpiece that we all could be proud of.”

Project details:

Architect:
junya.ishigami+associates (Junya Ishigami, Wataru Shinji, Tei Shuma, Taeko Abe, Takashi Mastuda)
Svendborg Architect (Johnny Svendborg, Anne Fridberg, Jacob Billesbølle, Bas Spaanderman, Jordy van Osselaer)
Structural engineer: Jun Sato structural engineer
Environmental engineer: TRANSSOLAR | Klima Engineering
Client: HOPE Foundation
Site: Nordhavn, Copenhagen Harbour, Denmark
Size: 3,000 m2
Status: 1st prize, invited competition