NCC Selected to Build Carlsberg Byen Phase One for More Than $236M

By Eliza Theiss, Associate Editor

Copenhagen, Denmark—NCC, one of Northern Europe’s leading construction and development companies, has announced being selected to construct phase one of the Carlsberg Byen redevelopment project in Copenhagen. Valued at around SEK 1.5 billion (around US$236 million), the order was commissioned by development company Carlsberg Byen P/S.

Located at Carlsberg’s former brewery in Copenhagen, Carlsberg Byen is a massive redevelopment project expected to transform the area throughout the next 15 to 20 years.

Phase one, which NCC is to undertake, will comprise circa 1,087,000 square feet, of which the new campus of University College Copenhagen (UCC) will occupy almost 645,835 square feet. The educational institution will be consolidating all of its operations in Carlsberg Byen, which upon completion will bring over 10,000 students and 800 employees the area.

Other than the college campus, extensive retail and office space will also be developed at Carlberg Byen. In fact, retail will take up almost 70,000 square feet, while office space will clock in a little over 37,000 square feet. A significant element of the project is its residential component, which will occupy over 161,000 square feet. Over 215,000 square feet of basement space will also be created.

Project planning is already underway with groundbreaking set for summer 2013. Phase one of the project is slated to complete in mid-2016.

“The first phase of the development of Carlsberg Byen will essentially realize our vision of creating a vibrant city district with a mix of stores, housing, offices and cultural operations, which will also benefit residents and investors in 25 years’ time,” Lars Holten, president of the development company, Carlsberg Byen, says.

NCC has noteworthy experience in redeveloping breweries in Copenhagen, such as the former Tuborg brewery grounds in Hellerup, which, with NCC’s involvement where converted into housing, office and retail space.

Project Carlsberg Byen came to be as a result of Carlsberg’s decision in 2006 to relocate its breweries from the capital to Fredericia, some 120 miles west of Copenhagen. The decision opened up over 3.55 million square feet of land for redevelopment, in the heart of the capital, no less. In May 2007 the proposal of Entasis, a small Danish architectural firm was selected as winner of the international competition. Their vision was of a 24-hour urban community, with an emphasis on urban space, over individual buildings. Entasis proposed to rebuild the area following the old breweries cellar plans, which brings the past into the future on more than a symbolic level: the community that is to rise will have the irregular lines of al old city quarter. On a more detailed level, Carlsberg Byen will feature nine towers between 164 and 393 feet tall, building on Copenhagen’s old moniker of “The city with the noble towers.”

Over 6.45 million square feet will be built at Carlsberg Byen, 45 percent of which will be housing concentrated on the upper floors of structures, with better access to natural light. 3,000 homes of every size and form of ownership and targeting all age and income groups are to be built onsite, 300 of which will be decentralized affordable homes.

A further 45 percent of the total built area will be dedicated to businesses (with an emphasis on small businesses) and retail, while 10 percent of the total built surface will be dedicated to art, culture, sports and other various institutions. Fifteen percent of Carlsberg’s existing structures will be preserved, including the Visitors Centre, Research Centre, Museum, Jacobsen Microbrewery and the Carlsberg Corporate Headquarters—all of which will remain active.

An extensive grid of bike lanes will be created, such as the Carlsberg Route, a bicycle path along the railway connecting the City of Copenhagen and the Valby suburban district. The new, state-of-the-art commuter railway station that will be built will be one of the five busiest in the country when Carlsberg Byen fully completes. Parking will be ensured by underground car parks overwhelmingly—surface parking will be avoided as much as possible. An estimated 4,500 parking spaces could be created.

Carlsberg Byen aims to become the first carbon-neutral development in Denmark, with all new structures being energy efficient. Twenty-five densely wooded urban spaces will run along streets, with three urban gardens also envisioned. Two onsite private gardens of Carlsberg’s founders are scheduled to open to the public. The project also aims to achieve the high walkability factor old cities, where living, working shopping and entertainment options are all within walking distance of each other.