Schmidt hammer lassen architects

History

schmidt hammer lassen architects was established in 1986 by Morten Schmidt, Bjarne Hammer and John F. Lassen.

The current group of partners includes Morten Schmidt, Bjarne Hammer, John F. Lassen, Kim Holst Jensen, Kristian Lars Ahlmark, Chris Hardie and Rong Lu. Day-to-day management of the practice is the responsibility of CEO Bente Damgaard.

The practice had its major breakthrough with the Katuaq Culture Centre in Nuuk, Greenland, completed in 1997. The project in Nuuk was followed by first prize in the international competition for the extension of the Danish Royal Library on the harborfront in Copenhagen. Completed in 1999, the library extension, also known as the Black Diamond, has become one of the practice’s most known buildings.

Another major project is the ARoS Art Museum in Aarhus, Denmark, which was completed in 2004. In May 2011 the art work Your rainbow panorama, by Olafur Eliasson, was officially unveiled on the roof top of the museum.

In 2010 schmidt hammer lassen architects won the competition to design the first permanent premises for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands. The ICC is the first permanent, treaty-based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. It was founded in 2002 and has grown to the present-day size of 122 member countries. The building is designed to convey hope, trust and faith in justice.

In 2011 Schmidt hammer lassen established an office in Shanghai, to serve their increasing client base in Asia. Current projects in progress include two new sustainable campus projects for China Mobile, a new office and culture development next to the Chinese Pavilion on the site of the 2010 Shanghai Expo, a new 1800 seat musical Theatre that forms part of a new cultural development called Dream Center and a private Art Museum on the banks of the Huang Pu River. In nearby Ningbo the office is overseeing the Headquarters for Ningbo Daily Newspaper Corporation, a 125,000m2 cultural home for the Ningbo Trade Union, and the new Central Library for Ningbo East New Town, all due for completion in 2017.

Philosophy

The common denominator underlying the practice’s work is a democratic approach to an architecture focused around people, material, space and light.

Product design

The schmidt hammer lassen architects' work also include furniture and product designs, both as an integral part of large-scale architectural projects, such as the Black Diamond and ARoS, and as independent designs. Begun with the intention of raising the overall quality of architectural projects, schmidt hammer lassen design is an independent department working on architecture-related designs and independent products with international manufacturers.

The current product range includes light fixtures for Philips Lighting, Lampas and Focus, indoor furniture Piiroinen and DJOB Montana, outdoor street furniture for Veksoe. Designs include the Flakes chair, the Focus Lighting, Idea Water Fixtures and the Swan Neck. The design department also creates unique pieces such as the sculptural receptions desk at Danfoss.

The firm also creates interior designs, such as the Bodil Binner Jewellery shop.

Awards