Opening of the Danish Architecture Center's exhibition, The Water is Coming

On Monday, October 7th, the Danish Architecture Center's exhibition, The Water is Coming, was inaugurated by H.M. King Frederik, who serves as DAC’s protector. This thought-provoking exhibition delves into a vital question: How can we coexist with water as both a life-giving resource and a powerful force of nature?

Featured in the exhibition is the Kullorsuaq Community and Daycare Center in Greenland, an example of climate-driven, minimal-impact design that transforms the challenge of managing meltwater into an inspiring opportunity. Built primarily from wood and elevated on pillars, the design respects Greenlandic building traditions and harmonizes with the natural terrain. Here, meltwater flows into ponds and streams in the landscape’s natural crevices, offering dynamic features for children to explore and enjoy year-round.

The Water is Coming is open until March 23, 2025.

EXHIBITION -The Kullorsuaq project in Greenland conveys the passion for climate driven design at the Danish Architecture Centre in Copenhagen

Situated north of the polar circle Kullorsuaq is an extreme environment. Understanding the local climate has been pivotal in the development of a project that not only creates sheltered outdoor spaces for the users and children of the house but also for the city as a whole, generously providing an entirely new sheltered gathering place for all.

P121 - Final design delivered in Kullorsuaq

BIOSIS has handed in the final design for a nursery, kindergarden and school club in Kullorsuaq awaiting construction. The project sets new standards in minimal impact and the potentials of microclimatic design.

The buildings design is melodiously shaped by local wind and light conditions protecting a central microclimate for the children also serving as a new town plaza.

The landscape dictates the design avoiding the use of both dynamite and concrete. Taking local building traditions into account, 90 procent of both interior and exterior is constructed in untreated wood keeping masonry to a minimum.

P121 - KULLORSUAQ - Rural Community and Daycare Center

P121
KULLORSUAQ
Community and Daycare Center
74°34’41.6”N 57°13’53.9”W
Kullorsuaq - Greenland

In Greenlands largest ‘village’ (bygd), our design for the second public building besides the local school has been created under strict care for the topographical, environmental, climatic and social conditions of the site.

In order to meet these conditions, the building envelopes an inner courtyard acting as shelter for the strong cold winds thus creating an enclosed, protected space for the children and as a meeting place in the local community. Because of the sloping conditions of the site there is a view of the sea and surrounding landscape from every room in the building and from the inner courtyard overlooking the fjord.

The local workforce have to build this project without any larger machinery, so the project is designed with small spans as a timber frame construction made from standard sized materials that can be handled on site.
The project has a minimal impact on the site it inhabits, with no excavation of the bedrock and no concrete casting. It is lifted from the ground on timber columns, allowing surface water to flow under the building. If the building is one day to be dismantled, it will leave the site untouched.

The project is due completion in 2024.