KDY - Royal Danish Yacht Club

Tuborg Harbour is a contemporary district with a mix of housing, offices and recreational activities. Whereas the commercial buildings are large, solitary domiciles and the housing features elongated, horizontal buildings.

A common trait is their precise appearance, simple geometry and the average height of five to six storeys.

The Royal Danish Yacht Club enjoys a central location with an extensive water view encircled by a system of walkways, steps and ramps, which convey the transition between the city and the harbour. 

The clubhouse is the harbour headquarters, and at just 1,000 square metres it is of a different scale than the rest of the buildings. The main architectural feature is the folded roof. It closes the building from the residential area to the south, but opens it up towards the harbour and the stunning views of Øresund. 

 With its angled fan shape, the clubhouse divides the harbour into two sections. The angled effect and the northern orientation ensure that the public restaurant offers views of the harbour through floor-to-ceiling windows. The west- and south-facing patios bathe in the late afternoon sun. 

 The fan form creates ideal shade from the southern sun and only cuts the form where entrances are needed. As you arrive through the entrance of the closed southern facade, the design offers a full view of the harbour and a peek at the sea.

 Built and covered in robust materials such as roofing felt, painted steel, glass and timber, the building is  designed to weather in the sunlight. The ‘shell’ is clad with black roofing felt with no indication of joints or  drainage. The white-painted steel profile frames the building with reference to the white-painted steel hulls of big ships. Inside, the form is wood lined similar to wooden boat decks and fittings.

‘The house gives you a sense of being on the water. In the middle of a transition between city and harbour.’

Thomas Scheel, senior partner