3XN

3XN
Muziekgebouw Concert Hall, Amsterdam
Practice information
Key architects	Kim Herforth Nielsen Bo Boje Larsen Jan Ammundsen
Location	Copenhagen
Founded	1986
Work
Buildings	Muziekgebouw Concert Hall Museum of Liverpool
Awards	1988 Nykredit Architecture Prize 2005, 2007 and 2009 RIBA Awards

3XN is a Danish architectural practice with head office in Copenhagen.

History

The company was founded in Århus in 1986 as Nielsen, Nielsen & Nielsen (later 3 X Nielsen) by Kim Herforth Nielsen, Lars Frank Nielsen and Hans Peter Svendler Nielsen. The latter left the company, which is today led by a partner group of three with Kim Herforth Nielsen as the Principal Architect. The practice had its international breakthrough in the late 90s with the Danish Embassy in Berlin (completed in 1999) and the Muziekgebouw Concert Hall in Amsterdam (competition win in 1997). In 2005 3XN won the competition for the new Museum of Liverpool which opened in 2011.

Among 3XNs high profiled Danish projects are Ørestad Gymnasium (High school) (2007), the renovation of Tivoli’s Concert Hall (2005), Alsion, university, concert hall and research centre in Sønderborg (2007), the headquarters of Saxo Bank in Copenhagen (2008), the headquarters of the law firm Horten (2009), Middelfart Savings Bank (2010) and KPMG Headquarters (2011). Under construction are Bella Sky – the biggest hotel in Scandinavia, Lighthouse, a highrise in Århus, a new town hall in the Dutch city Nieuwegein and Denmark’s new Aquarium, The Blue Planet in Copenhagen. Recently 3XN has won the competition to design the new headquarters for Swedbank in Stockholm and another Swedish residential project in Vällingby. 3XN is also present in Norway with projects such as the Theatre and Jazz House in Molde and a Culture House in Mandal.

In 2007 3XN established the research and development department GXN working on implementing new (green) materials and technologies in the studio’s projects. The R&D department also develops new projects and designs of lamps for instance. GXN is also behind the green Louisiana Pavilion displayed at the Danish art museum Louisiana during COP15. The pavilion is built with a biocomposite especially developed for the purpose. GXN works with Cradle to Cradle Denmark at developing the first Danish building manual based on the Cradle to Cradle principles.

In 2010 3XN created the exhibition Mind Your Behaviour, which was shown at Danish Architecture Centre and at Aedes Gallery in Berlin.

The 3XN philosophy

Ørestad Gymnasium, Copenhagen, 2005

The architecture of 3XN is created in the nexus between science and art; iconic design and context. That combination results in an expression of humanity. Dialogue is extremely important and the stories told by the people and the place are always carefully listened to. Working with the motto; “Investigate, Ask, Tell, Draw, Build” 3XN’s buildings express spatial requirements quite simply, reflecting the spirit of the place, the constructive solution and the project’s overall idea in one comprehensive solution.

Behavior is another keyword in the 3XN philosophy. In 2007, 3XNs Ørestad College set new standards for educational buildings. The open design changed the traditional ideas of the layout and look of a school building. Based on the principles of knowledge sharing and interdisciplinarity of the Danish Gymnasium Reform of 2005 the traditional class rooms have been removed in favor of open flexible rooms thus allowing interaction and better learning and working environments for the students. This mindset; that architecture shapes behavior has become a guiding principle in all 3XN’s architectural solutions. Out of the synthesis of design, function and context new buildings take shape that are larger than the sum of their parts and that create an added value for the end users.

“For me, architecture is more about creating spaces and environments that accommodate the people working and living in them. All through the process it is important for us as well as the client to have an environment that is inspiring and designed with the human being in full focus. I believe that architecture creates behavior” Kim Herforth Nielsen, Founder and Principal, 3XN

Selected projects

Completed

• Architect’s House, Copenhagen (1996)
• Buen kulturhus, Mandal, Norway (2012)
• Danish Embassy, Berlin (1999)
• Tivoli Concert Hall extension, Copenhagen (2005)
• Muziekgebouw Concert Hall, Amsterdam (2005)
• Sampension Headquarters, Copenhagen (2005)
• Ørestad College, Ørestad, Copenhagen (2007)
• Alsion Concert Hall & Research Centre, Sønderborg, Denmark (2007)
• Saxo Bank building, Copenhagen (2008)
• Bryggen Shopping Centre, Vejle, Denmark (2008)^[1]
• Horsens Stadium, Horsens, Denmark (u/c, completion 2010)
• Middelfart Savings Bank, Middelfart, Denmark (completed 2010)^[2]
• Bella Sky Hotel, Ørestad, Copenhagen (2011)
• Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool (2011)^[3]
• Gemeentehuis Nieuwegein, Nieuwegein, Netherlands (2012)^[4]
• Blue Planet, Copenhagen (competition win July 2008)^[5]
• Theatre and Jazz House, Molde, Norway (2012)

In progress

• Grove Towers, Mumbai, India (u/c)^[6]
• Yangpu University Gateway, Shanghai, China
• Mandal Cultural Centre, Mandal, Norway (u/c, completion 2011)
• Light House, Århus, Denmark
• New Deutsche Bahn HQ, Berlin (competition win 2007)^[7]
• Randers Museum of Art, Randers, Denmark (competition win February 2009)^[8]
• UN Village, Copenhagen (competition win 2008)
• Railyards Cultural Centre, Århus, (competition win November 2009)^[9]
• Vällingby Parkstad highrise, Stockholm, Sweden (competition win June 2010)^[10]
• Uppsala University Building, Uppsala, Sweden (competition win, March 2012)^[11]
• Rigshospitalet expansion, Copenhagen, Denmark (competition win, May 2012)^[12]
• Copenhagen Arena, Ørestad, Copenhagen, Denmark (competition win, June 2012)^[13]
• DreamCenter, Shanghai, China (March 2014)^[14]
• Residential project, Vienna, Austria (competition win, April 2014)^[15]
• IOC Headquarters, Lausanne, Switzerland^[16]
• Mälardalen University and public bath, Eskilstuna, Sweden (competition win, Kune 2014)^[17]
• AMP Centre redevelopment, Sydney, Australia (competition win September 2014)^[18]

Awards

• 1988 Nykredit Architecture Prize^[19]
• 2005 RIBA European Award for Sampension^[20]
• 2005 MIPIM AR Future Projects Award for City for All Age in Valby, Copenhagen
• 2005 International Olympic Committee IOC/IAKS Award for DGI Urban Sports Centre in Århus
• Best New Building in the Netherlands 2006 for Muziekgebouw^[21]
• 2006 ULI Europe Award for Muziekgebouw^[22]
• 2006 Dedalo Minosse Award for Muziekgebouw^[23]
• 2006 MIPIM AR Future Projects Award (residential category) for Nordhavnen Residences
• 2006 MIPIM AR Future Projects Award (office category) for Middelfart Savings Bank^[24]
• 2006 LEAF Award for Muziekgebouw^[25]
• 2007 RIBA European Award for Alsion^[26]
• 2008 Forum AiD Award for Ørestad College
• 2009 RIBA International Award for Saxo Bank^[27]
• 2010 JEC Innovation Award for Louisiana Pavilion
• 2011 RIBA European Award for Middelfart Savings Bank^[28]
• 2012 WAF Award for Rigshospital extension^[29]
• 2013 RIBA EU Award for Frederiksberg Courthouse^[30]

Exhibitions

• 2010 Denmark Updated, Essen, DE
• 2010 12. Biennale Architettura, The Danish Pavilion, Venice, IT
• 2010 Mind Your Behaviour, Aedes, Berlin, DE (solo)
• 2010 Mind Your Behaviour, DAC, Copenhagen, DK (solo)
• 2009-2010 It’s a Small World, Copenhagen, DK (tour: Shanghai EXPO 2010, CN, Curitiba, BR, Santiago, CL)
• 2009 ShowHow, Copenhagen, DK (tour: London, UK)
• 2009 Green Architecture for the Future, Louisiana, Humlebæk, DK
• 2008 11. Biennale Architettura, The Danish Pavilion, Venice, IT
• 2008 Architecture is a conversation that never ends, Paris, FR (solo)
• 2008-10 Building Sustainable Communities, DAC, Copenhagen, DK (tour: UAE, SE, DE, PL, CN, RU, LV)
• 2008 Sust-DANE-able, London, UK
• 2007 Architecture and Design Today, ETH Universität Zurich, CH
• 2006 Architecture made in Denmark, DAZ, Berlin, DE
• 2005-06 Young Younger Youngest. Aarhus, DK (tour: Rome, IT, Stockholm, SE)
• 2005 Culture led Regeneration, CUBE, Manchester, UK
• 2005 Danish Architects in China, The Danish Cultural Institute, Beijing, CN
• 2005 Danish Architects in the UK, the Royal Danish Embassy, London, UK
• 2004 9. Biennale di Architettura, Arsenale, Venice, IT
• 2003-04 Contemporary Danish Architecture, i+i, Delft, NL
• 2002 Danish Architecture, Beijing, CN
• 2002 Arne Jacobsen Inspirations, Louisiana, Humlebæk, DK
• 2001 BLUE STAGE, House of World Cultures, Berlin, DE
• 2000-01 The Danish Wave (tour:, CN, JP, TW, AR)
• 2000 Panorama des Capitales Européennes, Pavillon d’Arsenal, Paris, FR
• 2000 Botschaften und Landesvertretungen in Berlin, DAZ, Berlin, DE
• 1999 4. Biennal Internacional de Arquitetura, São Paulo, BR
• 1999 Denmark meets Australia II (tour: main cities, AU)
• 1998-99 Copenhagen – Concepts of Continuity (tour: RU, PL, DE)
• 1996 Scandinavian Architecture, Chicago Athenaeum, Chicago, US
• 1996 5. Biennale Architettura, Arsenale, Venice, IT

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 3XN.

• Official website
• 3XN buildings in arkitekturbilleder.dk