Press information
January 2009

Best design in the world attracts people to Ørestaden

The interest in city district Ørestaden has increased, after the residential housing "VM bjerget" was recently crowned "world's best housing" at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

Copenhagen's newest district, Ørestaden, is becoming increasingly known for its architecture. Around 6000 people yearly take tours around the area - an interest that has risen since the latest award.

- We are both happy and proud of the many architecture awards and recognitions that the buildings in Ørestaden receive. We can clearly feel that the international interest from the whole world has gone up since the recognitions - among others on the number of guided tours in our city development areas. It was our goal to create these lively areas of an international class, says Jens Kramer Mikkelsen, Managing director of Copenhagen City & Port Development.

Complex architecture acknowledged

VM Bjerget is a collaboration of residential housing and underground parking. It is architect Bjarke Ingels from BIG, who designed the housing, which is shaped like the letters V and M.

It was the first time the World Architecture Festival was held and Copenhagen was nominated together with other residential housing projects in Spain, England and Holland.

World Architecture Festival's jury explained why VM Bjerget won the prize in the end of October like this:

- The project is not without problems. It is the typical first time design of a young architect, who has thrown all the ideas that have filtered through his mind during the last 10 years, into the building project. Despite all this, it is the building's strong points that win out, for example the amazing private outdoor areas and the exciting parking garages under the building. It is a sign of a promising future for the young architect.

On February 3 "VM bjerget" also won the prize for best architecture in the Nordic, "Forumprisen". It is the only prize of its kind and judges architecture in the Nordic countries - Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

For further information:
Pernille Garde Abildgaard
Public relations manager at Copenhagen City & Port Development
Tel: +45 29160586
Email: pga@byoghavn.dk

High res. photos:
To find high resolution photos of VM Bjerget, click here.