3XN

3XN
Name	3XN
Founded	1986
Founders	Kim Herforth Nielsen, Lars Frank Nielsen, Hans Peter Svendler Nielsen
Headquarters	Copenhagen, Denmark
Notable projects	Royal Arena, Middelfart Harbor Bath, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ (renovation collaboration)
Awards	RIBA European Award, MIPIM Award, WAN Award

3XN

3XN is a Danish architecture firm founded in 1986 in Copenhagen by Kim Herforth Nielsen, Lars Frank Nielsen, and Hans Peter Svendler Nielsen. The firm has completed projects across Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, and North America, collaborating with institutions such as the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, the City of Copenhagen, and corporate clients including Carlsberg, Novo Nordisk, and Danske Bank. 3XN’s portfolio includes cultural venues, commercial headquarters, sports arenas, and public urban interventions that have engaged with networks of practices connected to firms like Henning Larsen Architects, Bjarke Ingels Group, and Schmidt Hammer Lassen.

History

3XN was established amid a Scandinavian architectural milieu shaped by figures such as Jørn Utzon, Arne Jacobsen, and Alvar Aalto, and evolved alongside contemporaries like Erik Møller Architects and C.F. Møller Architects. Early projects placed the firm within dialogues involving the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the Danish Building Research Institute, bringing commissions from municipalities such as Frederiksberg and Aarhus. During the 1990s and 2000s 3XN expanded internationally, entering competitions alongside Herzog & de Meuron, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Foster + Partners, and undertaking schemes that connected to events like Expo 2000 and the Cultural Olympiad. The firm’s trajectory intersected with developments in urban regeneration tied to companies such as Carlsberg Gruppen, Realdania, and the Nordic Investment Bank. Over time 3XN has partnered with engineering practices like Ramboll, Arup, and Buro Happold and engaged with institutions including the European Union and the Nordic Council.

Notable Projects

3XN’s portfolio includes civic and cultural buildings comparable in impact to works by Renzo Piano, Jean Nouvel, and Santiago Calatrava. Landmark projects include the Royal Arena in Copenhagen (large-scale events aligning with venues like Wembley Stadium and Madison Square Garden), the Tivoli Hotel and Congress Centre (hospitality projects alongside Marriott and Hilton developments), and the tram-adjacent urban quarter projects akin to those by OMA and Snøhetta. The firm’s waterfront and harbor works resonate with projects such as Copenhagen Opera House, HafenCity schemes, and Amsterdam IJ waterfront interventions near the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. Other significant commissions involve corporate headquarters for clients like Saxo Bank and Novo Nordisk, research facilities adjacent to institutions such as the University of Copenhagen and Karolinska Institutet, and mixed-use masterplans comparable to Hines and Skanska developments.

Design Philosophy and Approach

3XN’s design approach is informed by precedents set by Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, and Louis Kahn while engaging contemporary dialogues evident in work by OMA, Herzog & de Meuron, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The practice emphasizes context-sensitive design that dialogues with cities like Copenhagen, Stockholm, London, and New York, and with institutions such as the British Museum, the Louvre, and the Museum of Modern Art through typological reference. Its methodology incorporates interdisciplinary collaboration with structural engineers (Ramboll, Arup), landscape practices (Gustafson Porter, Hargreaves Associates), and acoustic consultants analogous to firms working with the Elbphilharmonie and Philharmonie de Paris. 3XN situates programmatic strategies in relation to public stakeholders like municipal administrations, transport authorities including Transport for London and Metroselskabet, and cultural commissioners involved with festivals such as the Venice Biennale and the London Festival of Architecture.

Awards and Recognition

The firm’s work has been recognized by juries and organizations including the Royal Institute of British Architects, the World Architecture Festival, and the MIPIM Awards, alongside prizes from institutions like the Danish Arts Foundation and the Aga Khan Award deliberations by juries that also consider projects by SANAA and Toyo Ito. 3XN projects have been shortlisted for European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award and have received regional honors from Scandinavian architecture bodies linked to the Nordic Council and the Danish Centre for Culture and Development. Awards place the firm in critical company with recipients such as Bjarke Ingels, Snøhetta, and Henning Larsen.

Organizational Structure and Key Personnel

3XN operates with a leadership and partnership structure comparable to large European practices like Foster + Partners and OMA, with multidisciplinary teams covering architecture, interior design, research, and client development. Key figures include founders Kim Herforth Nielsen, Lars Frank Nielsen, and Hans Peter Svendler Nielsen, working alongside project directors and partners who liaise with clients such as the City of Copenhagen, Realdania, Novo Nordisk, and pension funds like ATP. The practice collaborates with consultants and contractors including MT Højgaard, NCC, Skanska, and engineering partners Ramboll and Arup, and engages academic networks across institutions like the Royal Danish Academy, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and ETH Zurich.

Sustainability and Innovation Initiatives

3XN’s sustainability agenda aligns with frameworks and standards such as LEED, BREEAM, and DGNB, paralleling initiatives by C.F. Møller Architects and Henning Larsen Architects. The firm has implemented energy strategies similar to those used in projects by Zaha Hadid Architects and Herzog & de Meuron, engaging with environmental consultancies and technology partners including Siemens, Vestas, and Grundfos. Research collaborations have linked 3XN to university labs and innovation hubs at the Technical University of Denmark, Chalmers University, and Delft University of Technology, and to funding bodies such as the EU Horizon programmes and Innovation Fund Denmark. Their work addresses urban resilience challenges encountered by cities like Copenhagen, Rotterdam, and Hamburg.

Publications and Exhibitions

3XN’s projects and research have been exhibited at venues such as the Venice Biennale, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Architektur Galerie Berlin, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, and published in journals and outlets including Architectural Review, Dezeen, Domus, and Architectural Record. Monographs and critical essays place the firm in discourse alongside authors who write about contemporaries like Rem Koolhaas, David Adjaye, and Toyo Ito, and their exhibitions have toured institutions such as the Designmuseum Danmark and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Category:Architecture firms of Denmark Category:Companies based in Copenhagen