MTN / The Mountain

The Mountain is the second generation of the VM Houses, with the same client, size and same street. The program however is 1/3 residences and 2/3 parking, which services both the Mountain and VM House. Rather than designing two separate buildings – a parking and a housing block – we decided to merge the two functions into a symbiotic relationship.

The parking wants to be connected with the street and the housing wants sunlight, fresh air and a view. Since Copenhagen is reclaimed flat land without topography, what if the parking became the foundation of the housing – like a concrete hillside covered by a thin layer of housing, cascading from the first to the eleventh floor. All apartments have sun filled roof gardens, amazing views and street parking on the tenth floor! The Mountain appears as a suburban neighbourhood of garden homes, flowing over a 10 story building – suburban living with urban density.

Awards and recognition:
2008 Danish Wood Award, 2008 WAF World Architecture Festival (Best Housing Project), 2009 Forum AID Award, 2009 Mies Van der Rohe Award Shortlisted, 2009 MIPIM Award for Best Residential Development, 2009 Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence, 2009 Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award, 2010 Archdaily Best in Housing, 2011 Jørn Utzon Statuette Concrete Element Award