With a vision to create the “workplace of the future”, developer Danica Pension has teamed up with Henning Larsen Architects, COWI and Alectia to design a state-of-the-art, yet modest Microsoft headquarters in the new urban district of Lyngby, Copenhagen. Unlike many of the recent corporate headquarters making headlines in Silicon Valley, this Danish complex is unique for it’s central urban site and primary goal of serving the community.
The project marks an important step in the realization of the municipality’s visions for Lyngby-Taarbæk City of Knowledge and Urban Development 2020 - a locally developed initiative aiming at making Lyngby one of the leading university cities and centers of knowledge and creativity in Northern Europe.
Mayor Søren P. Rasmussen stated: “The project reflects an interesting urban development strategy. Knowledge-intensive businesses are connected to urban life and the local study community. In addition, the building will create a lot of new jobs and provide a welcoming, dynamic urban space where city centre and green areas meet.”
The mid-rise, pentad will consolidate its activities and employees from their two Danish companies on one, 16,350 square meter plot in an effort to develop the Northern Copenhagen area of Kanalvejsgrunden. The campus will not only serve its Microsoft employee’s, but also provide a unique urban space accessible to everyone. In addition to its flexible, state-of-the-art office space, the plan will provide the surrounding community with student residences, retail space, an open cafe and technology area.
”Microsoft is already well-established in Denmark with our 900 employees and more than 3,700 partner companies, and we also look forward to becoming an active part of the knowledge and university centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk. The citizens can use our open café and technology area, students can use our allocated study area, and we will regularly host different events that will connect us even closer to the local area and Denmark”, says Niels Soelberg, CEO for Microsoft Denmark.
The first sod is expected to be cut already later in 2013.
