MVRDV and ADEPT win competition for House of Culture and Movement, Frederiksberg, Denmark (DK)

The city of Frederiksberg, Denmark, the Danish Foundation for Culture and Sport Facilities and Realdania announced MVRDV and ADEPT winner of the House of Culture and Movement competition in Frederiksberg, Denmark.








FlintholmSPARK-exterior-garden-copyright-adept-mvrdv-image by luxigon-low-res

The House of Culture and Movement is aimed to engage the population of Frederiksberg in a healthy and active life style, with its mix of community centre, exhibition and performance,



The building is a new urban typology with its mix of community centre, exhibition and performance, playground, park and health center. The House of Culture and Movement is aimed to engage the population of Frederiksberg in a healthy and active life style. The 4,000 m² building is set in 4,500 m² public gardens and is the first in a series of three buildings. The first phase is to be completed in 2015 and has a total budget of €17 million..

The main ambition for the House of Culture and Movement is to offer the Flintholm neighborhood a dynamic meeting point for people of all ages taking part in a wide range of activities. Health, culture, leisure and education should smoothly blend together to create a spectacular architectural experience that will become a destination.

The main building, the House of Culture and Movement, or Ku-Be (Kultur- og Bevægelseshus) is a rectangular glass volume containing six stacked ideal programmatic elements. The space in-between can be programmed flexibly as a 'play zone' with various activities and main circulation. The stacked elements hold more specific uses: a theatre, a health zone, food zone, a zen area, a study centre and exhibition hall, fitness and activity centre, a wellness centre and an area for the administration. The theatre is flexible and can be used in different stage and audience settings; in addition its large window allows it to be used as an open air theatre where the public stays in the garden. The building is a truly multifunctional public centre which engages its users.

The three volumes are wrapped in an 'urban curtain' that acts as frame for the garden. It offers great flexibility and can be used for art projects, bicycle parking, water and light installations, performances – and curtains.

The garden, designed in collaboration with SLA landscape architects, is fit for multiple uses acting as an activated, spectacular public space for the area. The landscaping follows the themes of the interior of the House of Culture and Movement with a performance area, health and activity zones, a quiet zone, connecting zones and an empty zone reserved for House of Culture and Movement 2.

The project will be phased. The House of Movement, the garden and the urban curtain will be first realizations. In later stages a commercial building and a second House of Movement will be added. Climate and energy technology is based on reliable technologies such as solar panels, natural ventilation and underground hot and cool storage resulting in a highly efficient low energy building.

The proje

Related News