Multifunctional development takes shape in Copenhagen

Tenderstream members Dorte Mandrup and SLA are part of the team creating the Tunnel Factory, a multifunctional space inside a former industrial building situated in Copenhagen’s North Harbour. Built in the 1990s to house the former Øresund Tunnel fabrication yard, the industrial hall is located far out on the peninsula, in a largely unexplored location. During the next 10 years, planners expect that the site will start attracting attention and visitors, with the Tunnel Factory transformed into a mixed-use development surrounded by urban nature, part of the overall project to create a vibrant urban district in North Harbour. 

The 27-metre-high building will be divided into three floors containing a concert hall, cultural centre, offices, restaurants, workshops, music studios, rehearsal rooms, and public housing. It will bring together a diverse community of culture, accommodation, and workspaces, with the ambition to create an environment that promotes participation, sharing, social cohesion, and sustainable growth. 

Kasper Pilemand, partner and head of projects at Dorte Mandrup, stated: “The shared vision to both preserve history and create an innovative micro-society is both challenging and inspiring. The existing building is an immense inspiration. It reflects the modern industrial history of the harbour which is as much a part of our cultural heritage as the renaissance castles and 15th century churches. Even for an architect, it is difficult to grasp the scale of the building and it challenges our senses. With the transformation of the Tunnel Factory, we can set an important example of how grand industrial structures can become part of everyday life – not just utilised for profit-based housing or office structures.”

The Factory is developed in a partnership between CPH City and Port Development, Nrep and Unionkul and in a collaboration with Arcgency, Dorte Mandrup and SLA. 

 Lucy Nordberg

Tenderstream Head of Research

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