Project: Bella Sky Comwell in Copenhagen, Denmark

Sara Pepitone -- Interior Design, 7/1/2012 1:05:00 AM

Fast Facts  Project: Bella Sky Comwell  Location: Copenhagen, Denmark  Finished:  May, 2011  Architect: 3XN  SF: 137,795 SF  Cost: US$155-million

Ten minutes from downtown Copenhagen, Denmark, within view of the city and the sea, the 23-level, 814-room Bella Sky Comwell is one of the world's most incredible hotels. Last year it was named Commercial Building of the Year in Denmark, and this past January, it won Best Architecture in Europe at the International Hotel Awards.

"Sometimes restrictions and limitations can boost creativity and result in very architectural solutions," says Kim Herforth Nielsen, principal and creative director of 3XN, the Copenhagen-based firm that designed the building.

"The challenge was to provide as many rooms as possible with a view of the protected [surrounding park] while still staying below the maximum building height of 76.5 meters," says Nielsen, adding that proximity to the international airport created the height restriction. "As the building site was small, the possibilities for placement for the building were quite limited."

The solution? Leaning towers, obviously. The twin towers lean 15 degrees, in opposite directions (that tower in Pisa you may have heard of leans less than 4 degrees). Between the ground and top floor there's a 20-meter difference in slope.

The leaning towers also meant 3XN had to seriously consider the façade. "An ordinary façade would simply not fit a building like that," says Nielsen. And sustainability was also a factor. So they devised a triangle-shaped pattern, diagonal and vertical lines that follow the angles of the towers, while preventing against both too heat gain and heat loss. The façade, in fact, is less than 50 percent glass.

Energy efficiency, great views from nearly every room, and an innovative architectural solution added iconic value to the property.  Need we say more?

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