Material Tendencies: Morten Schmidt

The Architonic team recently caught up with Morten Schmidt to find out which building material is particularly popular at the moment.

Morten Schmidt: Timber will take a big turn, there is no doubt. Universities around the world, in countries that are known for having a lot of trees and production of timber, they are already investing in researching how to develop the timber into something that can load, for instance, which can span longer, grow faster and which can be fire-protected in a better and more healthy way. It is a question of the very conservative building industry taking over these kind of materials one day.

Please describe a recent project of your choice.

Dokk1 is a project that we completed last year in Aarhus, Denmark. This public library is part of a new development of the waterfront, which is now being taken over from when it was an industrial harbour. Our building sits right on the edge between the harbour and the river. To connect the area both visually and physically to the historic centre of the city, we created an urban covered space. We see it as an extension of the urban floor into the building – a multicultural space that embraces people, encouraging them to come and meet each other.

Most of our buildings are huge public institutions, such as libraries, art galleries and museums – even courthouses. These cultural buildings are open to the outside world. They all have to do with people. Therefore it is so important that the building itself does not suppress people. It should invite everybody to stay and, in a way, force people to gather, meet each other and spend time together. You must make your building feel that the citizen has ownership.