The beacon of high-rise buildings

On the outermost edge of Aarhus Docklands, the city’s lighthouse has 42 floors. The Lighthouse is Denmark’s tallest residential building and an elegant conclusion to the project, where the first homes were built in 2012.

The Lighthouse is in every way a beacon and landmark for Aarhus, welcoming you with its open and white facades. The organic curves constituting the architectural hallmark of the Lighthouse are inspired by the waves and sea around the site. For many residents, the location is of course unique, with views of the sea, forest and city. But the 142 metre high building has also managed to establish a relationship with the land and the social framework for life at Aarhus Docklands.

The Lighthouse’s qualities are evident and the building has been voted the World’s Best High-rise Building in 2023 in the 100-199 metre category. In addition to the tower block, two side buildings were built, which together frame a communal green courtyard. Promenadehuset (Promenade House) and Kanalhuset (Canal House), as they are called, are 10 storeys high and are terraced downwards, allowing the entire building to adapt to its surroundings.

The welcoming entrance

The ground-level entrances to the homes are distributed between the two lower buildings and the Lighthouse itself. The scale is very accommodating for residents and guests, with a windbreak in the facade. This clearly frames the entrance and provides shelter from wind and water. There are many plant beds around the entrances. For residents, there is access to a sauna in the residents' centre and everyone has access to the bathing jetty right outside.

To achieve comfortable acoustics, Troldtekt panels are used in the entrance areas, corridors, stairwells and in the residents' centre. The ceilings in the residents' centre are natural grey, while the other spaces have white ceilings that accentuate the warm earthy colour used on many of the wall surfaces.