The Niels Bohr Building has been named one of the World’s Most Beautiful Campuses and has now received the Prix Versailles 2025, Special Prize for Exterior in the Campus category.

Together with University Director Søren Munk Skydsgaard, Deputy Director Karen Dilling from the University of Copenhagen, and Vibeke Lydolph Lindblad, Partner and CEO at Christensen & Co Architects, we were represented by our colleague Simon Pihl at the ceremony in Paris on Thursday, 4 December 2025. 

They were all represented on stage when receiving the exterior award, and Søren Munk Skydsgaard from the University of Copenhagen delivered the acceptance speech. He highlighted how the building connects the university’s legacy with its future. As Søren noted in his speech, the building draws on the legacy of its namesake, the Danish physicist and Nobel Prize laureate Niels Bohr, whose work promoted open science, international collaboration and human dialogue. Today, the building unites the Faculty of Science and the Department of Computer Science at the University of Copenhagen under one roof, forming a modern campus environment with laboratories, open common areas and clear spatial connections.

A façade inspired by scientific formulas

In his speech, Søren also explained how the façade reflects the spirit of the campus by weaving scientific themes into its expression. The large “megapixels”, each composed of four distinct pixels, represent a scientific formula. On closer inspection, students and visitors may even recognise formulas such as π and the Golden Ratio. It is a design feature intended to spark curiosity and learning even before entering the Niels Bohr Building. 

About the Prix Versailles

Since 2015, the Prix Versailles has been awarded annually at UNESCO, recognising some of the world’s most remarkable examples of contemporary architecture. Each year, the World Jury presents twenty-four World Titles across categories such as airports, campuses, passenger stations, sports facilities, museums, emporiums, hotels and restaurants.

The Official List highlights projects that embody innovation, creativity, cultural heritage, ecological responsibility and social value – principles that align with the United Nations’ vision for intelligent sustainability.