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Substation, Copenhagen Airport

The cylindrical switch station employs an elegant lighting feature which greets drivers on their way to and from the Øresund Bridge to Sweden.

In 2000, a bridge was built close to Copenhagen Airport, connecting Denmark and Sweden. In addition, the airport and the surrounding area underwent tremendous transformation. As a result, the demand for electricity grew, and a new switch station was built to handle high-voltage power and better meet consumer needs, not only for private homes but also for trains, industrial applications and airport installations.

The switch station’s location is dictated by the maximum cable length from transformer to consumer. The site itself is a narrow triangle, wedged in between the motorway and the railway tracks running above and below ground. The huge transformers at the switch station develop waste heat, which is expelled naturally via the 1.5-metre wide gallery between the building’s inner concrete structure and the glass façade.

The glass façade consists of nearly 2,500 glass plates that have been polished on three edges. The fourth and visible edge is matt and lit with fibre-optic cables, giving the building a radiant appearance at night. This lighting feature was created in cooperation with the renowned Danish artist Ingvar Cronhammar.


Design challanges

- Employing a technical facility as an architectural landmark on the urban horizon.

- Fitting a large technical facility onto a very limited plot of land.

Project location