Most Danes had probably never heard of Brande, a village of 7,000 inhabitants located in the rural region of Jutland. Until a local company decided to build the tallest skyscraper in Europe there.
320 meters, such will be the height of the future headquarters of the Danish company Bestseller. Four meters less than the Eiffel Tower, making it the tallest skyscraper in continental Europe. A record previously held by The Shard, the London tower of Renzo Piano, which is 309 metres high. Behind this crazy project, the cost of which has not yet been revealed, is billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, the richest man in Denmark. He built his fortune and reputation by creating the world-famous Vero Moda and Jack & Jones clothing brands.
Beyond the personality of the investor – who is not a real estate developer-, the place itself is quite remarkable. This huge tower will be erected in Brande, in the heart of Jutland, 280 kilometres from Copenhagen. A region so flat that the building will be visible from 60 kilometres away, the Guardian says.
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Bestseller Tower © Dorte Mandrup -
Bestseller Tower © Dorte Mandrup -
Bestseller Tower © Dorte Mandrup
A rural tower
The place is not, however, the result of chance: Brande is the city that has hosted Bestseller since 1975. “This skyscraper will be a landmark that places Brande on the map“, says project leader Anders Krogh in the British newspaper. In its future headquarters, the construction of which has just been approved by the City Council of Brande, Bestseller intends to mix offices, a hotel, educational facilities, but also about thirty shops, among which those of its own brands.
In order to counteract any opposition, the company has announced that it intends to rely on the principles laid down by the German Council for Sustainable Building (DGNB), an ultimate reference in this field. The organisation has more than 1,200 members worldwide. Economic, urban and socio-cultural criteria are added to the analysis of the energy performance of buildings. While waiting for 2023, the date of its completion, construction enthusiasts can fall back on the Sky Tower 41 of Kaminoyama, Japan. It too was erected in the middle of the fields.
Tags: Anders Holch Povlsen, architecture, Brande, Denmark, skyscraper
