Year: 2013—2016
Location: Tønder, Denmark
Size: 3.000m²
Status: Built, 1st prize in open competition
Collaborators: Søren Jensen, Signal Arkitekter, Riis Aktustik
Photography: Rasmus Hjortshøj / COAST

In 2013 SLETH won an open architectural competition for extension of Tønder Townhall in Denmark.

The extension of the original Tønder town hall is built upon the juxtaposition of the historical town hall – a classical public office building with corridors and offices, reception and a central arrival hall. An addition that brings in something new – a distinctly open and transparent public house. The new building opens up towards the town hall and creates a common space for its employees in an informal and open structure – a democratic and none-hierarchical plan. The concept for the design is a dialog between the brutal and heaviness of the original building and lightness and delicateness of the new building. The project is not creating two competing buildings, but two parts of the whole that works together and supplement each other.

The new building is located in the transition between significant historic buildings of the town and marshland landscape. Atmosphere of the historical city is brought into the town hall by using red brick as material of the new courtyard and the ground floor surface of the building. Marshland landscape is marked in the curved shape of the building which underlines landscape and river curves.