NLAA Lecture Series

Free to Attend

LECTURE 3 – Morten Schmidt, Schmidt Hammer Lassen, Copenhagen, DN

 
Morten Schmidt is the co-founder of the architectural practice Schmidt Hammer Lassen architects with architects Bjarne Hammer and John F. Lassen. Morten acts as responsible partner for the company’s London office. Morten’s particular remit is the practice’s international commissions especially in the UK and North America. He is project partner on Halifax Community Library in Halifax, City of Westminster College in London and University of Aberdeen Library. Earlier works include the Katuaq Culture Centre in Nuuk, Greenland, Halmstad Library and Växjö City Library in Sweden as well as large housing developments in China. He is also very much involved in regular liaising with the practice’s international contacts and in the presentation of the practice in the international arena. In the domestic arena, Morten Schmidt has specifically been responsible for the design development of a raft of projects that include the extension to the Royal Library in Copenhagen and the Aarhus Art Museum ARoS, the largest art museum in Northern Europe. As the founding partner of schmidt hammer lassen architects, Morten Schmidt is the joint recipient of a considerable number of Danish and international architectural awards for completed projects.

 
Schmidt Hammer Lassen architects is a modern, Danish architectural practice, shaped by the virtues of Scandinavian traditions and orientated towards and working on the international scene. SHL works at the dynamic intersection of the Nordic traditions and an international platform seeking to influence international architecture. With its projects winning prizes in national and international competitions coupled with the range of its activities, the practice has evolved since its founding in 1986 to become one of Scandinavia’s largest and respected architect firms. Since its inception, the company has won more than 150 international and domestic competitions and is the recipient of 85 awards and citations of excellence. A 160 staff spread across architectural studios in Copenhagen, Aarhus, London, Rotterdam, Singapore and in Shanghai are engaged in a broad spectrum of project types in Denmark, the other Nordic countries, Europe and Asia. Our permanent staff consists of a dedicated, experienced and well-trained team of architects, landscape architects, planners, design engineers, draughtsmen, model makers, interior architects, multimedia designers, graphic artists and administrative staff. Cultural and educational buildings, sports centres, corporate offices, commercial and production companies, retail, housing projects and residential areas, often in mixed-use developments and complex urban contexts, are cornerstones of the practice’s output. Most projects span every aspect of the scale from interior design over buildings through to concept plans and masterplans – from detailing, to urban development and landscape.