Finansforbundet

Inviting community

”At Finansforbundet, we believe in community.” In a world that is pulsating and always changing, where the job market is running to keep up, it is important that you have a solid foundation to stand on, when you need to stop and look for new horizons. Finansforbundet is a place where members can safely be guided through new challenges and potentials. It is a place that is both anchored in history and tradition and a future-driven foundation for development. It is about people, contact and communities. Naturally, the house of Finansforbundet will support this in the best possible way.

The main idea of the project is creating an open and inviting membership house with easy access to all member functions, an improved daily flow for Finansforbundet employees, a healthy acoustic work environment and an energy-optimized indoor climate. In our office space transformation, we have screened the existing building and we’ve created a strategy for which elements it makes sense to transform. We have considered different solutions for disposition and initiatives relating to materials and installations. But the primary sustainable strategy is centred on differentiating between rational, functional improvements and exclusively aesthetic transformations, with the goal that all transformations in the project contain both elements. This means, that the necessary functional improvements and aesthetic updates are equal parts of the architectural concept.

Transparency and flow in the building

To create a building that is open and inviting, we had to look at the existing disposition. Today the kitchen and canteen are at ground level while member facilities are placed at the top of the house. The façade of the production kitchen is just right of the main entrance which can give the impression of arriving at a back entrance.

The current sectioning of the eating area, along with the central reception and the waiting area in the bottom of the atrium, challenge the open flow and holistic understanding of the ground floor. We see a big potential in opening up the building and creating a visual connection between the southern façade and northern façade. Furthermore, we will give the now lifeless ground floor façade a more accommodating character. Therefore, it is crucial that the functions with the biggest potential are connected to the surroundings of the ground floor through use of the dock area and access to blue and green outdoor areas with seamless transitions between inside and out.

Therefore, we suggest moving the membership area on the 5^th floor down to the ground floor, while moving the eating area and kitchen to the 1^st floor. Hereby, we create easier access to all the member functions of the house for both new and experienced members and users of the house. Hereby, the daily circulation and flow up through the house is limited primarily to the users of the house which makes it more natural for both members and employees to understand and keep track of who is allowed where in the house.

An office space transformation of the future

We see the atrium as a supersize set box of minor meeting rooms and thereby a spatial symbol of the growing community in the house. With an everchanging and increasingly digital workflow, we have, with the supersize set box in the atrium, aspired to create an environment that supports and strengthens the use of online meetings. E.g., with rooms dedicated to digital meetings with screens and lounge furniture, quiet rooms and single-spaces, where you can either host a digital meeting or find peace and concentration for preparation or phone calls.

The atrium is also where you meet and exchange ideas. Here you can pass by an interesting presentation and be inspired by and informed of other peoples’ work. It is the interdisciplinary lab that creates synergy and innovation in a future-driven, professional house. The meeting facilities in the southern part of the atrium, are an integral part of the atrium and will keep its function as meeting centre. To limit heating and direct sunlight, we have designed a double façade with a permanent sunscreen, the mega-blinds.

Access to fresh Christianshavn air

Between the new façade and the existing glass façade, we are establishing new balconies with access through the meeting rooms for all the users of the house. This new façade will be a characteristic of the house, which, with its transparency and porosity, awakens curiosity and signals modernity and innovation.

In our office space transformation, we have prioritized easy access to fresh air for everyone in the house. This strengthens concentration and productivity while contributing to a good work environment. The recent focus on hygiene and fresh air establishes access to fresh air as a relevant topic and we consider it an important part of a modern work life in 2020. We use the unique location of Finansforbundet to make it even more attractive and privileged for the employees and users to access the fresh air and outstanding environment of Christianshavn with the channels and the harbour. Therefore, all floors have access to terraces, which is a part of the new southern façade. On the ground floor there are updated outside areas that encourage going out for fresh air and hosting outgoing activities and events when the weather allows it.

Client: Finansforbundet
Area: 9500 m²
Year: 2021-2023
Location: Christianshavn, Copenhagen
Collaborators: AB Clausen, Danish energy management
Images: EDiT - architectural visualization studio, Christensen & Co.