Henning Larsen

Landscapes are intricate webs, where design decisions impact ecosystems, energy consumption and social dynamics. This is how the design team behind Rifle Range Nature Park approach designing in a biodiversity crisis. Awarded the 2023 SG Mark in the sustainability category, Rifle Range Nature Park’s restoration is an embodiment of nature-based solutions sensitive towards the environment and its users. Located near the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, one of the last primary forests in Singapore, the park aims to preserve the island’s rainforest ecosystems, which are under threat from development and human activity. The design incorporates habitat creation, water-sensitive urban design, fauna protection, and heritage conservation to ensure the park’s long-term sustainability and flourishing, whilst dedicating a recreational space for Singaporeans to enjoy, where nature is scarce. Photos by: Finbarr Fallon

Utilizing existing urban space to bring nature closer to people living in cities is an essential aspect of urban design today. Taking advantage of our cities’ most underutilized resource, their rooftops, to create accessible green spaces offers a great solution for urban development. Comprising 2,000 m2 of outdoor space on the roof of the iconic Salling Department Store in Aarhus, the Salling Rooftop Garden transforms the building's 'fifth facade' into an urban oasis above the city skyline, creating a public space for relaxation and togtherness while setting the standard for increasing biodiversity in our cities. With lush vegetation throughout a range of pocket gardens, a biophilic wall draping down the façade, footbridges connecting different levels, glass walls and floors that look down into the department store, an outdoor restaurant, and a panoramic platform offering a breathtaking view of the entire city, Salling Rooftop Garden is growing into a beloved destination for tourists and locals alike. Learn more about the project here https://hnglr.sn/3XEgdQ5. Images by Martin Schubert and Francesco Galli.

Heading to Hong Kong anytime soon? The Shaw Auditorium at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology may not immediately come to mind as a tourist destination when visiting the area, but South China Morning Post SCMP suggests adding it to your list. Standing on the hillside in the south of HKUST’s Clear Water Bay campus, the Shaw Auditorium's bold curved form stands out to signal the artistic and cultural activities within. Open and welcoming on all sides, the building has no front or back, designed as three concentric white rings, interspersed with glazing to reveal panoramic views of Sai Kung Bay. The auditorium combines a highly flexible, acoustically sophisticated auditorium with bright, generous social spaces – together, these provide a ‘living room’ for the campus community and a world-class venue for Hong Kong. Find South China Morning Post SCMP's full visitors’ guide to Hong Kong design, art and culture here https://hnglr.sn/3wrofjQ. In collaboration with Wong Tung & Partners Limited, Rider Levett Bucknall, Marshall Day Acoustics, Theatreplan, WSP, Urbis, Inhabit, CTA, and Build King Holdings Limited. Photos by Kris Provoost.

Wood is the warmest color. To discover all of the other great reasons to design with timber, find our publication, Plant a Seed, here: https://hnglr.sn/3Tzltl9 Photography by Laura Stamer, Emil Fagander, and Rasmus Hjortshøj

Roofs that aren't just roofs. 1. Salling Rooftop in Aarhus, Denmark by Francesco Galli 2. Frederiksbjerg School in Aarhus, Denmark by Hufton + Crow 3. Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus, Denmark by Hufton + Crow 4. Eystur Town Hall in Norðragøta, The Faroe Islands by Nic Lehoux 5. The Biotope in Lille, France by Javier Callejas Sevilla

This year, Moesgaard Museum celebrated its 10th anniversary. Nestled into the rolling landscape of southern Aarhus, and displaying world-class exhibitions that dive into human history, Moesgaard Museum offers visitors a unique experience combining nature, culture, and history. Beyond a mere museum building, our ambition for the 16,000 m² museum was to craft a destination that would not only be a hub for learning and culture but also a vibrant center that resonates with the local community. Its publicly accessible sloping roof, landscaped with grass and moss, makes the museum a striking icon in its historical setting. Besides offering an exciting viewpoint over its surroundings, amongst the roof’s varied uses are a theater stage, cycling track, and picnic spot. And in winter, after snowfall, it makes for the area’s most popular tobogganing slope! Over the last decade, the range of these practices has totally exceeded our expectations, as has the substantial increase in the museum’s popularity, now reaching over half a million visitors per year. Learn more about the project here https://hnglr.sn/4e2L5iK. Images by HUFTON & CROW LTD, Martin Schubert, Jan Kofod Winther, and Rasmus Hjortshøj.

Extreme urban heat now affects 25% of the world's population, with low-income and marginalized communities disproportionately impacted. Addressing the challenges of rising urban heat, in the quest for a climate-resilient world, we must ensure climate justice; creating solutions that benefit everyone, especially those most vulnerable. Earlier this year, during #ClimateWeekNYC, our Global Head of Sustainability, Kritika Kharbanda, dove deeper into the topic, exploring the development of the KlimaKover prototype - a low-cost, accessible cooling solution - created in collaboration with Ramboll and the University of Pennsylvania as well as the research of our industrial PhD student, Gulin Yazicioglu. “To truly build a climate-resilient world, we must address climate justice, ensuring that solutions benefit everyone, especially those most vulnerable." Looking for something to read this holiday break? Find Kritika’s piece here https://hnglr.sn/4gCsGKO. Illustration by Pawel Floryn.

What would our urban spaces look like if we listened to girls and young women? We are revisiting one of your favorite posts from 2024. This past International Women's Day, we tuned in to the perspective of teenage girls. Urban Minded is a research project at Henning Larsen considering how urban design impacts the health and wellbeing of this chronically neglected group. There is a pressing need for the design industry to better accommodate the diverse needs of its users, providing spaces where everyone can thrive. The research project has set out to address these issues, envisioning a future that prioritizes the well-being and empowerment of young women. Urban Minded seeks to challenge and diversify the narratives about teenage girls. Rather than generalizing their needs, attention was turned to their rich and nuanced lived experiences. As a result, the team has created two open-source guides containing principles for design as well as methodology surrounding participation processes for designing urban spaces with the well-being of teenage girls in mind. A special thank you to our partners The National Institute of Public Health (Denmark), Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark, and our supporters the Ramboll Foundation. Find all the details here https://hnglr.sn/4ciYz9t. Illustrations by Paweł Floryn.

Moving an entire city three kilometers calls for a new, extraordinarily welcoming city center, a gathering point that fosters community and signals a new beginning. Located 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the Swedish town of Kiruna has relocated due to a century of mining operations that began to destabilize the earth around it. The town, which started resettling in 2007, was named the EU's European Capital of Culture for 2029—a significant achievement for a community preserving and rebuilding its cultural identity. Demolishing the old Kiruna and moving residents to a fresh city center uprooted generations of local heritage, interrupting tight-knit neighborhoods and erasing multigenerational family stores. The relocation was a challenge of identity, exposing the relationship between architecture and community. The citizens of Kiruna have embraced Kristallen, ‘The Crystal,’ as their new town hall, not only as a visual re-imagining of the town but a physical continuation of its history. The building draws inspiration from the city’s culture and history through the crystalline roof structure, while also implementing design features from Kiruna's former city hall ─ a unique work of architecture from 1958 designed by Artur von Schmalensee. The new city hall makes reference to the historical hall by incorporating its bell tower as well as selected materials and building components. The circular form symbolizes unity and solidarity: centrally located in the heart of new Kiruna, the building encourages equal access to all citizens. In the subarctic sunlight, Kristallen’s white exterior establishes it as a visible landmark for a resilient community. Completed in 2018, the project is in collaboration with Kiruna Municipality, LKAB, Temagruppen Sverige AB, WSP, and UiWE Culture Design. Read more here https://hnglr.sn/4gh4rkU. Photos by HuftonandCrow.

Our masterplan design for Gdańsk Imperial Shipyard is one step closer to realisation! After two award-winning revitalizations of historic buildings, embraced by the Gdańsk community, the Imperial Shipyard is beginning a new chapter rooted in the area's rich history. The first phase of residential development in the Stocznia Cesarska Development project, designed by Roark Studio, has secured investment. Creating a vibrant new neighborhood in a storied shipyard, our masterplan design for Gdańsk Imperial Shipyard includes a park, dock, and plaza area where historic and personal connection lays the groundwork for renewed life on the city's waterfront. Located in the Polish city of Gdańsk, the former industrial site was central to the nation’s economic growth as a key shipbuilding center on the Baltic Coast. Our winning design for the 40,000 m² project reimagines the shipyard as a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood that continues the city’s rich timeline rather than creating a new one. The development is defined by three urban spaces: the plaza, the park, and the dock. Historic elements like dockworkers’ courtyard gardens, now small parks, and the industrial dock, repurposed as public waterfront access, blend into the new vision, ensuring the past remains an integral part of the neighborhood’s future. Together with the Ramboll foundation, CoopTech Hub, and Stocznia Cesarska Development, we are working to implement the Edible cities concept in the area. The initiative relies on the framework of Ecopolis – a vision of a resilient city built on local cooperative businesses, close-knit community, food sovereignty, and nature-based solutions. The masterplan was established in collaboration with A2P2 architecture & planning and BBGK Architekci. The owner of the project is Stocznia Cesarska Development, and an SPV was created jointly by Revive and Alides. Find all the details here https://hnglr.sn/3B3L9jR. Images by Vivid-Vision.