Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Special – Denmark
Park and Play - aerial. Photo: JAJA Architects
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse – prism. In collaboration with BESSARDs’ STUDIO. Photo: Hampus Per Berndtson
Photo: Rasmus Hjortshøj – COAST - www.coastarc.com
Driven by curiosity JAJA Architects are based in Copenhagen. Their unique, creative solutions make them thrive under each challenge and enjoy going the extra mile. By Susan Hansen
“We are driven by curiosity – being able to constantly challenge conventional ideas of what is achievable by doing something in a different and better way,” says Jan Y. Tanaka, founding partner and architect at JAJA Architects. “We aim to add value where it is unexpected, in a way that creates an element of surprise.” The firm’s portfolio includes projects as diverse as a masterplan transforming Ålesund’s harbour front, to a swimming hall extension in Roskilde, a museum in Nyborg, 400 housing units in Copenhagen and an innovation centre in Taastrup. Their latest project is Park’N’Play, Konditaget Lüders, in Copenhagen. “Our task was to rethink a parking house and make it an integral part of the city,” Tanaka explains. “It was a challenging starting point to transform something not originally created for people and turn 86 | Issue 93 | October 2016
it into something that would become an attractive public space for the city.” JAJA dealt amazingly well with the challenge. Today, a month after opening, the site has become a popular public space for the people of Copenhagen who seek the thrill of being above the city skyline. At the other end of the spectrum, where JAJA’s playful approach unfolds, is the hidden potential seen in the transformation of Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse. A harsh coastal environment meant that the lighthouse was out of service and became inaccessible for decades, and moving sand dunes destroyed most of it, leaving the tower isolated. The constant coastal erosion means that the tower is likely to succumb to the forces of nature within the next two to 15 years.
“We introduced a new staircase, which also doubles up as a gigantic kaleidoscope inside the existing lighthouse. Previously a machine sending light out to the seafarers, we reinterpreted its historic function by reverting its use to instead cascade light directly into the lighthouse,” says Tanaka. “Combined with a wind-powered prism on top of the kaleidoscope, visitors will hopefully experience the correlation between the story of the lighthouse and the immense natural forces of the Danish west coast. This is perhaps comparable to being inside a gigantic wind-powered disco ball.” The future is looking bright for JAJA, and several new projects are currently in progress. “For us it is about continuously exploring the potential of architecture, to make it better for the individual client as well as society in general and its surroundings.”
For more information, please visit: www.ja-ja.dk