The sinuous direction of the façade corresponds to the solar orientation: it maximizes north-facing openings for natural light and views, while minimizing exposure on the sunny sides. Working with Arup engineers, BIG calculated that this very simple idea reduces the solar exposure and resultant air conditioning expenses by % without any moving parts or complicated technology. Purely because of the inherent properties of the building geometry, the building performs
The top of the building is crowned by the Masterpiece Gallery, a collection of LEGO fans’ beloved creations that pay tribute to the LEGO community. The Masterpiece Gallery is made of the iconic × LEGO brick and showcases art beneath eight circular skylights that resemble the studs of the brick. Like the golden ratio, the proportions of the brick are nested in the geometries of everything man-made in the building, from the glazed ceramic tiles in the steps and walls to the overall block scheme. Atop the Masterpiece Gallery, citizens and visitors can get a ° panoramic view of the city. Some of the rooftops can be accessed via pixelated public staircases that double as informal auditoria for people watching or seating for performances.
The Shriver Program providing special education for students aged to occupies two floors of the building accessible from the ground floor, and has specialized spaces dedicated to support APS’ Functional Life Skills program as well as privacy and ease of accessibility; the gymnasium, courtyard, occupational physical therapy suite, and sensory cottage are designed to aid in sensory processing.
The program organization of the venues informs the bow tie-shaped volume on the outside: the main auditorium is located in the middle, sandwiched by the front-of-house activities facing south, and all of the back-of-house activities and services to the north. The facades on each side of the building reveal the interior program to passersby outside, creating a storybook for the public and allowing the theatre operation to act as a stage in its own right.
By constructing a traffic bridge using apartments and office space as the main construction instead of concrete or steel, the bridge becomes an object for private investment, offering a large amount of new square meters in attractive, but already dense locations. The top of the bridge would accommodate vehicular traffic, cars, bikes and pedestrians, allowing crossing passengers spectacular views of the Copenhagen skyline, across the port and all the way to Sweden. Right below the street, a layer of parking. The rest of the bridge would become a kilometer long slab of housing and offices.