Photos: Adam Mørk

Standing over 75 metres tall, 3XN Architects’ Bella Sky Hotel forms a major new landmark on the Copenhagen skyline. Sited next to the Bella convention and congress centre in the city’s new Ørestad extension, the 42,000 square metre scheme comprises 814 bedrooms, 30 conference rooms and five restaurants.

A 25-storey height limit, resulting from the site’s proximity to Copenhagen Airport, led the architect to conceive two closely spaced towers in place of a larger single structure. The towers are inclined 15 degrees away from each other – 11 degrees more than the leaning tower of Pisa – ensuring optimal views from the bedrooms over nearby Amager Fælled and the city beyond. The top corner of the taller tower is twisted to resist windloading, and to make a further gesture towards the city. A twist in the lower tower at ground floor level signals the entrance.

Inside, the hotel lobby merges with the existing Bella Center lobby and features a specially- commissioned light sculpture designed by 3XN’s research and development department, GXN. The interior spaces, many of which were designed by the architect, are intended to evoke a well-designed Scandinavian home, with an emphasis on light, warmth and connecting to nature.

Project team
Architect: 3XN Architects; structural engineer: Ramboll; services engineer: EKJ; client: Bella Center; photos: Adam Mørk.

First published in AT228, May 2012