Fjordenhus - sculptural architecture in brick

When it comes to modern and minimalist design, Scandanavia leads the way! Fjordenhus is the first architectural work of Olafur Eliasson, a Danish-Icelandic artist.

Fjordenhus (Fjord house) honours its unique marine setting - it is completely surrounded by water and accessible only by a footbridge. The 28m-high building has a unique structure, formed by four intersecting cylinders.

Because brick is modular material, it can follow the organic shapes of the building. The undulating exterior shell is made from a perfect harmony of 970 000 unglazed bricks in 15 different tones. The intricate brickwork seems orderly when viewed from a distance, but as you come closer the different colours, shapes and irregular staggering reveal a dynamic surface.

In the interior, elliptical "negative spaces" were removed to create complex curved forms and arched windows.  Levels are connected by spiral staircases and round vestibules. The entire interior space is encircled by glazed brick to create complex elliptical curves and arches. The bricks fade from green at the bottom to blue from the top – a color palette that reflects the ocean and sky.

In the stairwell, scattered silver bricks reflect the sunlight shining in from above. The bricks are not just beautiful, they also have a practical function insulating against both noise and thermal extremes.

Every corner, niche, and arc required an individual brick-laying solution; each brick was specially fitted into the complex curvature of the underlying concrete as well as the facade's  curved steel frames and glass elements.  In the interior, the brick colors were selected to match the function of that space.