DANISH CLIFF HOUSE

NORDIC OFFICE OF ARCHITECTURE

Words by Laura Ragazzola Photography by Jette Slagelse

GLASS, WOOD AND A ZEN-STYLE GARDEN IN A CONTEMPORARY SUMMER RESIDENCE

OVERLOOKING THE NORTH SEA

An impressive beach residence combining rough landscape, naturalistic planting, and sharp architecture is the last building adventure for Jette Egelund and Mogens Dahl, a Danish couple who have made architecture and design the center of their lives.

In fact, Jette is the owner of Vipp, a 3rd generation family-run and family-owned company, founded in 1939, whose first product, a pedal-controlled waste bin, became a worldwide hit and today is exhibited in MoMA’s permanent design collection. In 80 years, the Danish company has grown into a brand crossing the categories of kitchens, furniture, lighting, and accessories. Recently Vipp has also created architectural venues in which Vipp products can be experienced.

It goes without saying that the passion for architecture is also key in the couple’s private life. That’s why, after successfully transforming their apartment in Copenhagen, Jette and Morgens have focused on looking for a very special place to build a new summer residence. They found it in the coastal countryside of western Zealand: a sheer cliff side, 20 meters above sea level, overlooking Storebælt, the strait of water between the main islands of

ABOVE: The elevation of the villa reveals the simple design of the structure, made of glass and wood.

RIGHT: Dining outdoor in the patio.

Denmark. “We immediately knew this piece of land in front of the ocean was the location we envisioned for our city-getaway”, recalls Jette.

The couple had already spent three years in the area when they commissioned architect Mads Lund from Nordic Office of Architecture the building project. At that time they had figured out a vision on how the summer residence should be designed, how it should take into consideration the winds, the sun, and the seasons. Their involvement in the drawing process gave rise to features such as terraces, lee sides, and an orangery where to rest in the sunsets.

The house echoes a classic Danish summer house comprised of individual structures including a main house, a guest annexe, and a shed. The three elements have independent access, yet they are united under the same

ABOVE: The shower cabin made of wood.

IN THE OPPOSITE roof and through a connecting corridor creating a passage between the functions of the home.

PAGE: The entrance to the house preceded by a zen garden.

ABOVE: The bright dining area doubles outdoor in the patio.

LEFT: The total white kitchen: all the modules and lighting fixtures as well as the indoor and outdoor furniture are from Vipp collection.

“The architectural vision starts with the roof under which everything unfolds”, explains Mads Lund. The house is guided by a structural grid mirrored in the visible rafters transcending the inside and outside. A concrete base supports glass and wooden walls covered by a light roof construction. As if sown together, the base and roof are connected by a repetition of two slender pillars rather than one massive pillar, a solution which emphasizes the lightness of the construction.

The residence is built with streamlined Canadian cedar panels embodying a new interpretation of classic board facades. The sharply lined wooden exterior interacts with the organic, outdoor stone flooring where each stone is encircled by grass margins. A green scheme designed by Yards studio, which harmoniously interweaves with the architecture and recalls Japanese zen gardens. The main purpose of the project was valuing the impressive view and the experience of the natural surroundings. “Characteristic for summer houses is the blend of the indoors and outdoors”, says architect Lund. This was achieved through extensive glass walls which alternate with wooden panels to allow a 180-degree seascape entering the main living space as a key feature of the décor.

Wooden surfaces are repeated indoors, as they were deemed more suited to a summer house, than whitewashed walls. Interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard envisaged a simple yet sophisticated indoor environment. She selected a neutral palette of warm hues of beige, grey and white, in order to ensure that no piece of décor hinders the outside view as essential in the experience of the space.

Not surprisingly, a large part of the furnishings comes from the owners’ company: kitchen, bathroom modules, lighting fixtures and indoor and outdoor furniture are from Vipp collection and provide a unique impressive style to the residence. However, by adding art pieces, heirlooms, textiles, ceramics, and flea market finds, Jette Egelund has also succeeded in ensuring the warmth and ‘hygge’ that a second residence calls for. H

NONordic Office of Architecture

Mads Lund is partner and Design Director. With 500 architects and studios in Norway, Denmark and Iceland, Nordic Office of Architecture is one of the leading architectural practices in the Nordics, with clients and projects around the world. Inspired by the Nordic design tradition of simplicity, functionality and craftsmanship, the team designs resilient and beautiful spaces, buildings and cities.

The projects are informed by a deep understanding of people and a sensitive approach to nature and combine a Nordic philosophy with local insights and international perspectives. Across the diverse portfolio of large and small projects, the office mission is always to shape thriving societies.

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