K-husene woven into a new district

In Aarhus, the newly developed district around the former railway goods yard Godsbanen is an exciting mix of existing and carefully designed new buildings. New urban spaces arise and the new structures pay homage to the history and culture of the place.

The district is also known as Aarhus K, in reference to the local creative (kreative) workshops, the Aarhus School of Architecture and the home-grown cultural association Institut for (X). K-husene are located midway between the School of Architecture, Godsbanen and the residential and commercial building Æggepakkeriet (The Egg Packery).

The building is sleek and structured like much of the Æggepakkeriet building, with a combination of flats and retail premises at ground-floor level. Sweco architects has worked to create an inviting colonnade along the shop fronts, which is also a nice reference to Godsbanen’s overhang on the opposite side of the street. At the same time, there was a desire to accommodate K-husene by using red brick as with Godsbanen and Æggepakkeriet, where, for example, the creative Plantecaféen is located.

Classic interplay of colours

The window frames, balconies and flashing are all distinguished by the nice, classic green colour which has been used, and which highlights the red colour of the brick. To create a strong sense of coherence in the colonnade, Troldtekt acoustic panels in the same green colour have been chosen to enhance the colour combination. For guests in the cafés with outdoor seating, the Troldtekt ceilings also mean improved acoustics.

The entrances for the 46 flats are located on the ‘courtyard’ side of the building. K-husene is part of an open block, with passages running across the bottom to make the building feel less massive. Troldtekt is also used at the entrances and in the bicycle parking facility. In addition to a quiet courtyard environment, the residents have a shared roof terrace that is sensitively integrated with the overall design of the roof.