EFFEKT

Hal 9 Concrete beams are being salvaged. In their original building, they supported a lightweight roof, but in the future Hal 9 they will be placed fourfold in order to carry increased loads and meet modern requirements. It is a matter of multiplication to achieve a higher load-bearing capacity. Together with the engineers, we have chosen a technique in which the concrete elements are broken loose and taken down using conventional demolition machinery, as opposed to a method where the elements are carefully cut free and disassembled with specialized equipment in a costly process. Our chosen technique will inevitably result in damage that must be repaired later, as well as a significant percentage of discarded elements, but this is less important in a process where all the materials are considered waste from the outset. The logic is to save money during the demolition phase, allowing those resources instead to be spent on smaller repairs later, provided the elements pass the uncertain tests they must undergo before being incorporated into the new building. An important part of the project is to test methods and evaluate them afterwards, and this comparison between rough and careful disassembly will definitely be a significant one in terms of economy and the resulting percentage of reused elements in the future building. The partnership behind the transformation consists of @jespersen_noedtvedt , @effektarchitects , @arteliadanmark and Krogsgaard & Co. #reuse #reusedconcrete #transformation #hal9

We’re excited to announce that Harmonikahusene is an Architizer A+Awards finalist for the 'Multi-Unit Housing – Mid Rise (5–15 Floors)' category. Help us win the award by casting your votes here: /Architizer-Awards-EFFEKT Voting is open until May 15th! Harmonikahusene is conceived as a green, open micro-neighbourhood - carefully integrated into its context and defined by a strong architectural identity. With 700 compact homes for students and young professionals, the design demonstrates how a user-centred approach to compact-living can deliver high-quality accomodation at scale. At the heart of the design is a custom bay window - bringing in daylight, extending the living area, and acting as a naturally ventilated buffer from the busy Åboulevard. These sculpted niches open up multiple vistas, transforming compact apartments into flexible spaces for studying, relaxing, and socializing. The building’s accordion-like façade is an expression of the interior logic, while the rounded perimeter typology responds to the scale and character of Frederiksberg’s historic fabric - simultaneously shielding common spaces from the street while providing access to green courtyards, rooftop gardens, and communal areas. The compact footprint of the building also frees up space for a local park, extending value to the wider community. A welcoming ground floor supports daily life with study spaces, a library, laundry, shared living areas, and fitness facilities. In the basement, over 1,100 integrated bicycle parking spaces connect directly to Copenhagen’s supercycle network, ensuring a car-free lifestyle and high accessibility standards. @nordicrealestatepartners @cg_jensen_vi_bygger_danmark @arteliadanmark , @frbkommune @kozlova.yulia.v @umeus_student_coliving @architizer @architizerawards

Together with HØGDE, we’ve kicked off a preliminary study exploring the potential for a new power experience park in Bykle, Norway commissioned by Bykle Næringslag. The ambition is to create a destination that communicates the story of hydropower – its impact on landscapes and communities – while also looking ahead to future energy solutions, all in a way that engages and inspires. Over the past days, we’ve experienced the dramatic surroundings up close, heard powerful local stories, and gained valuable insights into the possibilities of this project. Highlights included a tour inside Holen power station with Otra Kraft and an introduction to the engineering behind Norwegian hydropower. It’s a pleasure to collaborate with Høgde once again — last time resulted in the treetop walkway in Hamaren, which made it onto Visit Norway’s “must see” list and all the way to the World Expo in Osaka. With high ambitions, a unique landscape, and strong local engagement, we believe something truly special can emerge here. Thank you for the opportunity and to the entire local team for the warm welcome!

We’re happy to share that EFFEKT, together with Holst Engineering, has been shortlisted for the architectural competition for Campus Fountain House in Copenhagen. The project, led by Fountain House Denmark in collaboration with Realdania and A.P. Møller Fonden, will create new, holistic spaces for community, learning, and well-being – supporting a growing number of young people facing mental health challenges. With a strong focus on inclusion, quality of life and long-term impact, the ambition aligns closely with our approach: understanding how architecture shapes people and their surroundings, and working through co-creation and empathetic design to deliver lasting, positive change. At the same time, it is an exciting opportunity to work with transformation combined with new low-impact structures in inner Copenhagen. We look forward to continuing the competition process alongside the other talented teams and contributing to a project with such meaningful social impact. The winning proposal will be announced in June 2026.

This year, GAME Streetmekka Esbjerg celebrated its 10-year landmark birthday! Over 800 people joined the festivities organized by GAME – a testament to what the place means to the community. A decade of use demonstrates how transformation can create new relevance – not only architecturally but socially. GAME Streetmekka Esbjerg is a hub for street culture, movement, and community. It’s a place that supports children and young people, fosters wellbeing, and strengthens youth networks. It evolves alongside the people who use it. When we set out to reactivate the former roundhouse train depot as a hub for street sports and culture, we worked with what was already there – preserving the raw, historic structure while opening it up for new forms of use. Much of the existing building remains unheated and preserved in its original state, while new, robust halls have been added. Together, they form a flexible framework where contrasts between old and new enhance both spatial experience and usability. Transformation is a core part of our practice, making up around 30% of our built work – extending the life of existing structures, reducing carbon impact, and creating long-term social value. Photos: Yulia Kozlova and Enok Holsegård

We are excited to participate in the fifth edition of ARHITEKTA FORUM in Belgrade, exploring contemporary approaches to urban renewal. Under the theme Reurbanization, the forum will examine how cities can be revitalized from within – rethinking spaces, infrastructures, and patterns of everyday life. EFFEKT partner, Toni Rubio Soler, will join an international line-up of speakers, including Sou Fujimoto (Sou Fujimoto Architects), Chad Oppenheim (Oppenheim Architecture), and Nicola Maniero (Kengo Kuma & Associates), presenting insights from our work on reurbanization. Showcasing projects at different scales, from large masterplans to adaptive reuse and public space interventions, Toni will discuss our approach as a multidimensional process of repair – social, spatial, ecological, cultural, and material – and the ambition to restore balance between people, place, and planet. We look forward to sharing ideas and learning from this dynamic exchange of regional and global perspectives. The event will take place on May 9th at 10-16. Read more at effekt.dk

Hal 9 for @roskildefestival Concrete pavers are being discarded in large quantities across Denmark, primarily because mechanised installation makes new ones more economical, and due to shifting trends in dimensions and form. In Hal 9, we are investigating the potential of reusing discarded concrete pavers as a reconstituted wall material. With little processing, the units are reformatted into sizes that can be handled manually by a bricklayer. Some elements are roughly fractured, while others are cut using a paver splitter. The resulting surfaces and techniques draw on references to traditional stone masonry, while engaging a fundamentally utilitarian and industrial material - one that has even been produced in Hal 9 itself. The partnership behind the transformation consists of @jespersen_noedtvedt , @effektarchitects , @arteliadanmark and Krogsgaard & Co. #reuse #reusedconcrete #transformation #hal9

We’re excited to share that we’ve been invited to transform the former Tricotage Factory at Kronprinsesse Sofies Vej 35 in Frederiksberg – a site with a rich history dating back to 1898. Originally home to Henriques & Løvengreen’s textile production, and later a place for education including University College Copenhagen, the building has long been a setting for learning, development, and community. This legacy will continue as we reimagine the property as a vibrant student housing environment. The ambition is to transform the property into a cohesive and creative setting for students –where urban life, green spaces, and historic qualities come together. We would like to thank the real estate developer COPI for the continued trust. The project builds on our shared experience from previous collaborations in Frederiksberg, where we have worked together to bring new life to historic buildings while preserving their character and cultural value. Read more at effekt.dk

EFFEKT to design Strømmen – a new urban district in Valby The development of a new mixed-use neighbourhood is now moving forward. Positioned between Valby, Grønttorvet, København Syd – set to become Denmark’s second-largest train station – and Sydhavn, the Strømmen site will serve as a key connector, strengthening both physical and social links across the area. With the sale of the site to Skanska, the City of Copenhagen aims to create a lively, diverse, and dense urban environment with mixed housing types and open ground floors. Together with Skanska and DAB-Lejerbo, EFFEKT will help transform the former industrial, now vacant, site into a vibrant neighbourhood combining housing, care facilities, and commercial spaces. "The new neighbourhood is a reinterpretation of the Copenhagen courtyard typology. Placing the public heart in the middle of the block creates an inviting space with urban nature and a shared garden, where children, families, elderly residents, and local businesses naturally come together. This urban living room is designed to let city life unfold, protected from surrounding traffic noise, creating a calm yet active centre for community life," says Sinus Lynge, Co-founder and Creative Director at EFFEKT. Read more at effekt.dk

Hal 9 for @roskildefestival Along with the regular reused concrete columns in Hal 9, a series of special columns is created from leftovers and cutoffs. Each carries traces of its previous life as well as the process of its assembly into a new life. Ideas with broken concrete elements using stonemasonry tools by @kglakademi student @jensdistefano developed through the collaborative process. The partnership behind the transformation consists of @jespersen_noedtvedt , @effektarchitects , @arteliadanmark and Krogsgaard & Co. #reuse #reusedconcrete #concrete #transformation #hal9 #architecturedrawing

We are deeply honoured to receive the Eckersberg Medal 2026. On Thursday, the medal was presented at the Danish Academy Council’s annual celebration at Charlottenborg, in the presence of His Majesty King Frederik. The motivation highlights our work as a journey through “multifaceted and generous visions of life on earth” and recognises the ability to unite architectural quality with social and environmental responsibility, while embracing the full breadth and complexity of the discipline. Co-founders Sinus Lynge and Tue Hesselberg Foged participated in the ceremony together with partners Tina Lund Højgaard and Toni Rubio Soler. “We are truly honoured to receive the Eckersberg Medal. Realising projects in this industry is always a challenge – creating beautiful design and change in the industry is even harder. That is why this recognition from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts means so much to us.” Say the co-founders. Thank you to His Majesty King Frederik, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Akademirådet and to every collaborator who has contributed to this journey. Photos: Frida Gregersen

Thank you to the GREEN BUILDING SUMMIT 2026 for inviting EFFEKT to deliver a keynote on Future Living – Sustainable Housing for Tomorrow. Our keynote was presented by Juan Pablo Herrero Gil, who shared three built approaches to affordable, circular, and healthy housing with a Central European audience in Bratislava, Slovakia, as well as participants joining via the live online stream. “The Green Building Summit highlighted the growing commitment to sustainability across the built environment. At the same time, discussions made clear that financial and regulatory barriers remain key challenges to address in order to accelerate progress. Our presentation showcased three built projects, illustrating an approach where innovation is value-driven and can pay for itself. These projects demonstrated that low-emission, healthy buildings can compete in the market while delivering tangible benefits for users and meaningful gains for the planet. Sincere thanks to the organisers and the many insightful speakers for fostering an open and forward-looking dialogue. The momentum is clear – let’s keep collaborating and turn these ideas into action to transform ambition into lasting impact.” – Juan Pablo Herrero Gil A special thanks to the Slovak Green Building Council and the Slovak Chamber of Architects for making this event possible.