Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL) is an international architectural firm founded by a group of Danish architects in 1986 in Aarhus, Denmark. It has offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus in Denmark, and Shanghai, China. In 2018, SHL became part of global architecture and design firm Perkins and Will.
Notable projects include the national library of Denmark The Royal Library (Det Kgl. Bibliotek) in Copenhagen, the ARoS Kunstmuseum in Aarhus, DOKK1, the largest public library in Scandinavia and named by IFLA International Federation of Library Associations as Public Library of the Year in 2016, and Shanghai Library East, one of China's largest new library's which opened in September 2022. The studio is designing the tallest residential high-rise constructed primarily in timber, known as Rocket & Tigerli in Winterthur, Switzerland, and a new Opera House and Performing Arts venue, known as Green Heart Grand Theatre, in Beijing, China.
History
Katuaq Culture Centre in Nuuk, GreenlandHalmstad LibraryHalmstad LibraryThe Crystal in the Vesterbro district in Copenhagen
Schmidt Hammer Lassen was established in 1986 by Morten Schmidt, Bjarne Hammer and John F. Lassen.
The partners include CEO Sanne Wall-Gremstrup, Kristian Lars Ahlmark, Elif Tinaztepe, Kasper Heiberg Frandsen, Mads Kaltoft, René Nedergaard, and Chris Hardie.
The practice had its first major project with the Katuaq Culture Centre in Nuuk, Greenland, completed in 1997. The project in Nuuk was followed by first prize in the international competition for the extension of the Danish Royal Library on the harbourfront in Copenhagen. The library extension, also known as the Black Diamond, was completed in 1999.
Another major project is the ARoS Art Museum in Aarhus, Denmark, which was completed in 2004. In May 2011, the art work Your rainbow panorama, by Olafur Eliasson, was officially unveiled on the roof top of the museum.
In 2010, SHL won the competition to design the first permanent premises for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands. The project was completed in 2015.
In 2011, SHL established a studio in Shanghai, to serve their increasing client base in Asia. Completed projects include the Ningbo New Library in Ningbo, China (2019), China's largest new library Shanghai Library East, (2023), the West Bund Dome Art Center (2024) and the world's largest waste-to-energy power plant called the Shenzhen Energy Ring (2024).
Product design
The product range includes light fixtures for Philips Lighting, Lampas and Focus, indoor furniture Piiroinen and DJOB Montana, outdoor street furniture for Veksoe. Designs include the Flakes chair, the Focus Lighting, Idea Water Fixtures and the Swan Neck. The design department also creates pieces such as the sculptural receptions desk at Danfoss.
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