We are re-issuing an article we posted back last year about this project by 3XN that just won the 2011 Royal Institute of British Architect’s (RIBA) European Award. 3XN sent us for that occasion some new photographs that we added to our original article.

Middlefart is a small Danish town on the island of Fyn. Middelfart Savings Bank had high ambitions for its recently inaugurated head office. The building needed to ensure a perfect environment for the employees, while positively stressing demands for high architectural quality in the future development along the neighbouring harbour front.

3XN’s design is characterized by a large roof that covers all functions in the building. The roof is a large elegant wooden structure with 83 prism like skylights.

 

The openings bring in abundant amounts of daylight and allow for direct view of the sea from all places in the building, up and down. In this way, the light and friendly atmosphere sought for by the bank is achieved. The roof is designed to frame a perfect view towards the Lillebælt waters as well with a functional purpose of shading from direct sunlight.

The new building is carefully fitted into the context. To one side, the village is respected by following dimensions, scale and the shape of the roof. Towards the harbour the building retracts and makes way for a new, triangular space that opens for the view. From the plaza, one enters a large, indoor ‘market place’, the heart of the building. At entrance level, a bookshop, a café and a real estate agent – and the cash desk – is placed.

The rest of the bank’s area is spread at a series of terraces with open connections to the plaza – and to each other. The terraces are connected by spacious staircases that provide good opportunities for the important informal meeting.

Under the roof different functions such as a bookshop, a café, a real estate agent and the cash desk are placed around a central plaza, resulting in the building forming an informal public meeting space.

- Middelfart Savings Bank is a social institution and they feel a great responsibility for their local area. We wanted to reflect that by creating a social space which embraces the city and the inhabitants as well as the bank itself, explains Kim Herforth Nielsen, Principal of 3XN who designed the building.

With its central position, the building will become a natural meeting point for clients, staff and visitors. In relation to the surrounding city, a delicate balance has been achieved – a beautiful, contemporary and well functioning building that integrates respectfully in the overall picture.

Thermoactive Hydronic Elements
3XN’s implemented an energy efficient heating and cooling system that involves the mass and ability of concrete to adjust the room temperature by absorbing and releasing heat. The method is based upon pre-fabricated concrete decks with embedded plastic pipes.

With these thermoactive concrete elements it is possible to reduce the energy consumption for heating by 30 percent and the energy consumption for cooling and mechanical ventilation by up to 85 percent; in total, an energy saving of 30-50 percent. This is due to the fact that the system allows for better use of alternative supply sources, i.e. the plant can operate as a low temperature floor heating system during winter, based upon heat-driven heat pumps, and during summer, cool night air, soil tubes, ground water or sea water can be used for cooling.

The system is partly self-regulating as water for heating and/or cooling is circulated with a temperature only a few degrees from the desired room temperature, and this is the key to the large energy savings.

Plans and Section

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Project details:
Address: Havnegade 21, Middelfart
Client: Trekantens Ejendomsselskab A/S
Award: 1. prize in invited competition 2005
Completion: 2010
Area: 5.000m2
Architect: 3XN
Engineer: COWI
Landscape Architect: Schønherr
Photographs by Adam Mørk
Prize: MIPIM

3XN - Middelfart Savings Bank in Middelfart, Denmark

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