LERSØ PARKALLÉ

The existing building, originally designed by Royal Building Inspector Axel Maar as a navigation school in 1953, is part of the functionalist tradition with clear references to maritime architecture. The renovation preserves key façade characteristics while upgrading the building to contemporary residential standards. A new tower introduces a vertical landmark element, with alternating recessed and protruding glass sections that create variation and depth in the façade, while remaining calibrated to the surrounding brick architecture.

The housing programme includes 161 units in total. The existing structure is adapted to accommodate 60 units, with former classroom corridors repurposed as residential access routes. A previously existing communal building is demolished, and replaced by two new low-rise buildings containing 25 units. The tower accommodates 76 units.

Communal spaces are distributed between the existing and new structures, including shared rooms at ground level and a rooftop terrace oriented towards the south in the new buildings. The spatial organisation places emphasis on shared areas as the social anchor of the complex.

The project prioritises retention of existing structural elements where possible, including walls, floors, and ceilings, with targeted upgrades to insulation to meet current performance requirements. New construction is introduced selectively to achieve the required housing capacity while maintaining architectural coherence across old and new elements.

Within budget constraints, the ambition was to achieve a high architectural quality that reinforces community as the central framework for social life within the development.

Responsibilities included local planning, project and design management, concept development and sketching, programming, design coordination, and site supervision.