Scala Tower, Copenhagen, Denmark

Visible from the Central Station, the Town Hall Square and the Tivoli Gardens, Scala on the Axel Square is located on a central traffic, cultural and commercial site in Copenhagen. Acting as the visiting card of Copenhagen to the surrounding world in the heart of a potent mix of elite and popular culture, Scala continues to function as a place for concerts, cinemas, shops and restaurants.

THE SCALA STEPS

Scala takes advantage of its unique placement in Copenhagen's historic skyline. As it twists rising from the public square Axel Torv to its upper terrace it creates the Danish version of the Spanish steps in Rome, allowing public to walk up and sit upon its stepped facade.

The municipality of Copenhagen has expressed a wish to let Scala house the new main library.

Additionally, the proximity to the Central Station and its central location make the building suitable for conferences, hotel rooms and offices.

Rather than choosing just one of the suggested programmes, the aim is to fulfil all possibilities all at once: a dense and lively house for the city, combining both private and public space in a sliding scale from the street to the rooftop in one continuous movement.

UPDATING COPENHAGEN'S SKYLINE

The proposal is for a building with a starting point in the historical Copenhagen tower which is made up of two basic principles: a base that relates to the urban space and life unfolding near the building, and a slim spire that reaches towards the sky and becomes part of the Copenhagen skyline.

As such, the design of the Scala Tower grows out of the context with a starting point in the volumes and cornice heights of the neighbouring buildings. From the surrounding city space, the tower rises towards the sky: at the top, a clear principle for a tall and slim tower; at the bottom, a beautifully modelled volume that merges with the surrounding city from building to city space.

At street level, people have access to the main library that is a terraced landscape of reading rooms, large collections and a conference centre.

Continuing up the tower that also houses commercial tenures, visitors can check in at the hotel or go straight to the public roof terrace which offers spectacular views of the city.

On the top side of the building, a terraced landscape invites people to relax and take in the city at plateaus, making the Axel Square once again an attractive, urban public space.

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