The centre has been planned to occupy three parallel bands surrounding a main avenue. One of these bands contains the main entrance, office and staff facilities, together with an area with loading ramps for trucks, while the second contains an automated sorting facility, and the third fully-automated mini-load stores. The planned layout provides the most flexible arrangement, and allows for a possible future expansion of the logistics centre to triple size, i.e. 150.000 m2.
The idea was to create an industrial building that would go beyond the typical standardised solutions for logistic facilities, and create a building with a strong identity that would add an experiential quality to its surrounding.
From the motorway can be seen the centre’s two tall mini-load warehouses, each measuring approximately 6,000 m2, towering up as distinctive silhouettes. They resemble sculptures in the landscape, with simple facades clad in narrow, vertical strips of pine – an enormous construction which nonetheless, thanks to its wooden facade, seems human and approachable. The warehouses have for example transparent gables which provide a glimpse of the cranes inside at work.
There has been a strong focus on sustainability in the planning, using the British environmental standard BREEAM Industrial and, as a first for this type of building, it is rated Energy class 1 according to Danish codes. Highly insulated envelope, passive solar design (north-oriented office sections, large shading overhangs, green courtyard etc.), FSC-certified pine slats cladding, use of renewable energy with biofuel + solar on-site energy supply, integrated landscaped rainwater management, large-scale green roofs, use of daylight, controlled electrical light and LED fixtures, translucent lightweight ETFE-foil facades, and specially developed state-of-the-art low-energy machine equipment (reducing consumption by 75% compared with standard sorting plants) are unique features.
Throughout the building, emphasis has been placed on creating pleasant and safe workplaces, allowing daylight to enter, and on creating an intimacy with the landscape and the views, including the surrounding site covering approximately 65 ha which has been designed to uphold and recreate the ecological values of the original site as a natural area with oak woods, wetlands and meadows with grazing cows as a fertile environment for a rich flora and fauna.
Although the centre is large and efficient as an airport, it has been designed with an architectural sensitivity that is able to lend the advanced technical equipment a human expression: By combining raw technology with good materials, plenty of daylight and a strong social focus, it goes far beyond mere functionality. It also has a strong, sculptural presence and is designed in harmony with the landscape, which arguably is very rare for this type of building. Altogether, it aims to set new standards for a green development of the industrial sector – making it a continuation of the very best in the modern Scandinavian tradition.
Project Details:
Location: Haderslev, Motorway E45 exit 88, Denmark
Type: Offices – Industrial
Size: 48.000 m2
Year: 2009-2012
Client: Bestseller
Architects: C.F. Møller Architects
Landscape architect: C.F. Møller Architects
Engineer: Rambøll
Collaborators: TGW & Chrisplant (automatic sorter)
Contractor: Züblin
Awards: Building of the Year 2012, commercial category
International Trimo Architectural Award, overall winner 2012
Finalist for MIPIM Award 2013
