Democratic, collaborative design helped shape the unique look of the Krøyers Plads buildings in Copenhagen Modern architects like to brag about creating buildings with small footprints, eco-friendly structures that offer a sustainable solution to urban design challenges. A recently completed Danish development on the Copenhagen harbor approaches the concept of a conservative footprint through a different lens. The Krøyers Plads buildings, a row of polygonal apartment buildings, were designed by COBE Architects and Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter to make the smallest possible aesthetic impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
Building within this particular historic neighborhood has been a challenge that many architects and developers have tried but failed to realize. Since 2001, five other teams attempted the build on the site at the center of the city?s historical Nyhavn harbor district, near the Royal Playhouse, Copenhagen Opera House, and iconic restaurant Noma, but a combination of neighborhood resistance and local political pushback doomed every attempt. Evidently, Nordic NIMBYs can be very convincing.
Viewed from the other side of the harbor, Krøyers Plad blends in with the existing skyline.

The COBE/Vilhelm Lauritzen team didn?t want to repeat the past, and instead made a concerted effort to get local buy-in. According to Dan Stubbergaard, COBE?s creative director, the architects immediately surveyed local residents, asking them about the...