Ferring Soundport in Copenhagen by Foster + Partners

The Ferring pharmaceutical company was established in Malmö in 1950; its headquarters are now located in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. However, it has remained closely connected to its roots: on the other side of the Sound, in direct proximity to Copenhagen’s Kastrup airport, the company has put its new research and development centre into operation. The centre was designed by Foster + Partners. 

A Danish outpost

The triangular new building stands directly at the western end of Øresund Bridge, which was inaugurated in 2000 and connects Sweden with Denmark. From the east, it not only represents the first outpost of the Danish capital, but accentuates this situation with a dramatic architectural gesture: above a massive, tsunami-proof plinth of exposed concrete, the six storeys of the building protrude farther with each level. Its delicate-looking shell forms a striking contrast to its imposing subconstruction, while the balconies that almost completely surround the structure are reminiscent of an ocean liner. 

Laboratories and offices

The new research centre encompasses around 37 000 m² of gross floor area; it is nearly 40 m tall and has approximately 100 m of edge length on each side – so much for the quantitative data. About 750 employees work in the offices and laboratories: these areas are located along the glass facades. Meeting rooms and other communal spaces generally face inward. 

An atrium as a central meeting point

Towards the centre of the building, a building-high atrium is the shared centre of all activity. To the northeast – facing Sweden – it opens with a building-high glass front measuring around 630 m². Narrow catwalks suspended from the ceiling in front of the interior glass facade connect the office wings. 

A hybrid construction of concrete and steel

Even a first glance reveals that the new building was a complex matter in terms of construction, not so much for the main supporting structure – a reinforced-concrete skeleton featuring three polygonal access and sanitary cores that function as reinforcement as well. A great amount of steel was required in order to realize the large protrusions and the seemingly delicate roof. Indeed, the farthest-jutting vertex of the triangle is about 30 m from the nearest interior support. 

On the seaward side, only narrow catwalks suspended from the roof separate interior from exterior space. © Nigel Young/Foster and Partners

Two graceful roof structures

Seen from below, the roof plate appears membrane-thin. However, it conceals trusses as much as 4 m tall. Foster + Partners have used the hollow space to accommodate extensive portions of the technical installations. A further eye-catcher in terms of steel construction is the roof of the atrium: a graceful lattice with a nearly hexagonal shape comprising trapezoidal glass elements that span the high interior space without additional tension cables or intermediate supports.