New landmark in Copenhagen is now complete

On Thursday, 15 January, Nordstern delivered the final part of Postbyen to the client and developer, Danica Ejendomme. With this handover, a comprehensive and complex urban development project is brought to a close – a project that since 2019 has transformed the former postal terminal area next to Copenhagen Central Station into a new urban district in the very centre of the city.

The project’s central location in Copenhagen and the highly constrained construction site placed significant demands on logistics. Construction was carried out amid traffic, neighbouring buildings and an active city life, where careful planning and coordination were crucial to maintaining progress.

For this reason, the collaboration between the client Danica Ejendomme, main contractor Nordstern, consulting engineer AFRY and architect Arkitema has been a key prerequisite for the project’s success.

“Postbyen is an exceptionally complex construction project, but throughout the years the process has been characterised by strong collaboration, trust and a clear, shared alignment of expectations. When all parties work together as one team and share the same ambitions for the project, it creates the best conditions for delivering a project of this scale,” says Michael Dahlager, Director of Residential at Nordstern.

Postbyen comprises approximately 93,000 square metres of construction, including residential units, offices, a hotel and public urban spaces, among them five towers, the tallest reaching 106 metres. The diversity of building types and uses has made the project technically complex and placed high demands on both design and execution.

“Postbyen is a project where the complexity lies not only in its scale, but in the precision required to build in the middle of a vibrant city, surrounded by railways, traffic, neighbours and daily operations. This has required strong project management, close coordination and a shared ambition to deliver high quality throughout,” says Ane Petrine Clausen, Deputy Project Director at Danica Ejendomme.

“From the outset, we have had a clear vision of creating more than just buildings: we are creating a new urban district that connects Copenhagen across boundaries, with space for workplaces, homes, visitors and city life. At the same time, we have had a clear responsibility to manage the historic area with respect and care, ensuring it develops into a living and integrated part of Copenhagen. This has been a guiding principle throughout the project. Now we look forward to seeing Postbyen come into use and to watching Copenhageners make the new district their own,” says Ane Petrine Clausen.

With the completion of Phase 2, Postbyen takes a decisive step from construction site to urban neighbourhood. Over the coming year, the district’s functions and public spaces will gradually be brought to life as residents, businesses and visitors move in and the area opens up as an integrated part of Copenhagen.

Facts

• Client and developer: Danica Ejendomme

• Contractor: Nordstern

• Architect: Arkitema

• Engineer: AFRY

• Construction start: 2019

• Handover: 2026 (Postbyen Phase 2)

• Total area: Approx. 93,000 m²

• Programme: Residential, offices, hotel and public spaces