house of martial arts

uniting a community

At a bustling urban corner of Copenhagen, the House of Martial Arts will unite the city’s martial arts community of karate, taekwondo, Thai boxing, and many more in a new ambitious house for culture and sports. In our proposal for the house, which was awarded 2^nd prize in the competition, we translate the martial arts philosophy of balancing calm contemplation and physical strength into an architectural concept of contrasts, letting the building itself embody the transition from the bustling urban life by Nørrebro station to a shielded tranquil garden setting for training and meditative contemplation. The façade is a combination of softly rounded teal elements and large panoramic windows, offering precisely framed views of the life within. Inside, open and outward-facing facilities on the ground floor have a high degree of transparency, inviting people in. Moving up through the levels of the house, the experience changes into more serene settings of the minimalistic Nordic Do Jos and outdoor training terraces.

Client: Copenhagen Municipality
Area: 3 800 m2 / 40 902 ft2
Year: 2018
Location: Copenhagen
Collaborators: STED CPH / Rambøll
Images: EDiT - architectural visualization studio
Users: Martial arts clubs of Nørrebro