IRMA COFFEE TOWER

ALFA Development has chosen us as architects and lead consultant for the preservation and transformation of the listed and iconic Irma coffee roasting facility in Rødovre, Denmark.

FROM COFFEE PRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY HUB

The coffee tower was designed by architect Bent Mackeprang and Thorkel Klerk and built in 1968. Until 1986 it was the center for roasting, grinding and packaging Irma’s coffee products. All with one purpose: to create greatness and quality. In the future the building will be transformed into a public community centre with café, exhibition facilities, galleries, workshops etc. As a shared social space it will support livelihood and community building in Irmabyen as a newly developed residential area.

PRESERVING CHARACTER WHILE ENABLING NEW FUNCTIONS

The transformation is based on careful registration and focuses on preserving the existing qualities with few additions. Our aim is to make our presence in the transformation almost invisible:

• Preserving the remaining traces of the production facilities
• Preserving the existing palette of colours and materials
• Defining and adapting the new functions to the nature of the building, the existing building defines new functionalities – not the other way around
• Preserving the language of details in the existing building and keeping a dialogue with these in the new additions

To enhance livelihood and community building in new urban areas the studio has provided shared social space designs in other preservation and transformation projects, e.g., INSP/Inspiratorium.