Dokk1 is Scandinavia's largest public library and represents a new generation of modern hybrid libraries. The 35,000 m² building also houses a citizen service centre, office space, a fully subterranean automated parking garage for 1,000 cars, and new harbour-side public squares. The project is situated at the mouth of the Aarhus River in one of the most prominent sites of the city centre of Aarhus (DK). The design is a covered urban space where a large polygonal slice hovers above a glazed prism, resting on a square of ice flake-shaped stairs fanning out to the edge of the sea.
Schmidt Hammer Lassen is a Danish architecture firm with offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Shanghai. SHL's design approach is rooted in the studio's DNA as a multicultural collective that works globally but has an inherent Scandinavian legacy. The tradition of human-centric architecture with social and environmental sustainability is ingrained in the work.
With over 30 years of experience, SHL is one of Scandinavia's most recognised and award-winning architectural practices. In 2018, the studio became part of global architecture firm Perkins&Will.