London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

This Curving Prefab Building in Copenhagen Contains 66 Affordable Apartments

This Curving Prefab Building in Copenhagen Contains 66 Affordable Apartments

Danish architecture practice Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has created a prefab, low-income apartment building in Copenhagen that’s refreshingly bright, spacious, and beautiful.

Commissioned by Lejerbo, a Danish non-profit affordable housing association, this 73,195-square-foot building offers 66 new residential apartments that don’t compromise on style or coziness. Despite the strict budget allocated for the project, BIG designed each apartment with warm and welcoming features such as 11.5-foot-high ceilings, expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, and outdoor terraces.

Named the Dortheavej Residence, after its address in the northwest part of Copenhagen, the five-story apartment building winds through an area of car repair shops and industrial buildings constructed from the 1930s to the 1950s.



The 73,195-square-foot prefab building hosts 66 new apartments.



The apartment building has an organic curving form.



Each unit has 11.5-foot-high ceilings, expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, and outdoor terraces.

Lejerbo wanted the new building to create much-needed public space for the neighborhood. They also sought to create open pedestrian walkways while preserving the green yard adjacent to the site.



The apartment takes the form of a singular prefab structure.



The Dortheavej Residence offers affordable and attractive public housing in Copenhagen.



One of the project's goals is to revitalize the community.

BIG responded to Lejerbo’s brief with a singular prefab structure based on a checked pattern.

"Conceived as a porous wall, the building gently curves in the center, creating space for a public plaza towards the street on the south side and an intimate green courtyard towards the north. On the street level, the building opens up to allow the residents and general public to pass seamlessly into the courtyard," says BIG’s founder Bjarke Ingels.



A threshold on the ground level leads from the street to the green interior courtyard.



A staircase leads up to the apartment units.

The cuboid modules are reiterated along the building's curve and stacked up to the height of the surround buildings. The stacked formation creates space between the modules so each apartment can have its own small terrace, fresh air, and sunlight.



An open-plan kitchen and dining area.



A dining area that opens out to a balcony.

The building’s facade is clad with long wooden planks that accentuate the outline of the modules and the structure’s checkered pattern. The apartments range from 646 feet to 1,238 square feet. All have floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook views of the green courtyard and bring in plenty of light.



Steps lead up from the dining area to a bedroom.



Balconies on the south facade.

The north side of the facade looks towards an enclosed green public courtyard that residents of Dortheavej Residence and the neighboring buildings can use for recreation. On the south side, which faces the sun, the apartments have balconies that add depth to the facade.



A model of Dortheavej Residence.



A model of Dortheavej Residence.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
×