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Aller House, Havneholmen 33

A striking glass-and-steel media headquarters on Copenhagen’s revitalised Havneholmen waterfront, where bold contemporary architecture meets the daily pulse of the harbour.

Anchoring the waterfront district of Havneholmen in Copenhagen’s Vesterbro/Kongens Enghave, Havneholmen 33 is best known as Aller House, the striking headquarters of Nordic media group Aller. The 28,000 m² office complex, designed by PLH Architects, rises directly on the harbour edge with dynamic, sweeping lines of glass and metal that mirror the water. Framed by the Fisketorvet shopping centre, Bryggebroen bridge and harbour promenades, it’s a contemporary architectural landmark in a fast-evolving canalside neighbourhood.

A brief summary to Havneholmen 33

  • Havneholmen 33, Copenhagen, Vesterbro/Kongens Enghave, 1561, DK
  • Duration: 0.5 to 1.5 hours
  • Free
  • Environment icon Outdoor
  • Mobile reception: 5 out of 5

Local tips

  • For the best exterior photos of Havneholmen 33, head to Bryggebroen or the opposite quay at Islands Brygge to capture the full sweep of the glass façade and its reflections in the harbour.
  • Visit on a weekday daytime if you want to sense the building in use, with office floors lit, harbour buses running and commuter cyclists streaming past on nearby bridges.
  • Combine a stop here with a walk along the harbourfront between Fisketorvet and Islands Brygge to appreciate how Aller House fits into the wider redevelopment of Copenhagen’s inner harbour.
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Getting There

  • Metro

    Take metro line M4 to Havneholmen station, which serves the surrounding waterfront area. From the station, the walk to Havneholmen 33 typically takes 7–10 minutes along flat, paved paths suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Standard single metro tickets within the central zones usually cost in the range of 20–30 DKK, and services run frequently throughout the day.

  • Train + Walk

    Use the S-train network to travel to Dybbølsbro Station, a central hub on several lines. From there, allow about 15–20 minutes on foot to reach Havneholmen 33 via broad pavements and crossings. The route is mostly level but can be busy at commuter times. A single S-train ticket in the relevant zones is generally around 20–30 DKK, and trains run at short intervals.

  • Harbour Bus (Ferry)

    For a scenic approach, use the harbour bus routes that serve nearby stops along the inner harbour, such as those around Enghave Brygge and Islands Brygge. Travel times within the central harbour are usually 10–25 minutes depending on your starting point, with standard city harbour bus tickets typically costing around 20–30 DKK. Services are weather-dependent and can be less frequent in the evening, so check times in advance.

  • Bicycle

    Copenhagen’s cycle network makes reaching Havneholmen 33 by bike straightforward from most central districts. Cycling times from the city centre are usually 10–20 minutes along separated bike lanes and harbourfront routes. You can use personal bikes or city bike schemes, which often charge either a small unlock fee plus a per‑minute rate, or a fixed hourly price generally in the range of 20–40 DKK. Be prepared for strong winds along the harbour on blustery days.

Havneholmen 33 location weather suitability

  • Weather icon Any Weather
  • Weather icon Clear Skies
  • Weather icon Mild Temperatures
  • Weather icon Cold Weather
  • Weather icon Windy Conditions

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Discover more about Havneholmen 33

A contemporary beacon on Copenhagen’s inner harbour

Havneholmen 33 stands on a reclaimed peninsula just off Copenhagen’s Vesterbro district, where former industrial docks have been transformed into a sleek waterfront quarter of offices, apartments and promenades. The building occupies a prime position at the tip of Havneholmen, looking across the water to Islands Brygge and sitting a short distance from the pedestrian and cycle bridge Bryggebroen. With the harbour buses gliding past and commuter cyclists streaming over the bridge, it feels deeply connected to the city’s daily rhythms. Approached from the quay, the structure presents long, flowing façades that seem to cantilever over the harbour edge. Extensive glazing reflects shifting skies and water, giving the building a lighter presence than its size suggests. Even if you are not entering the offices inside, the exterior is an eye-catching piece of contemporary architecture that helps define this part of Copenhagen’s skyline.

Aller’s story and move to the waterfront

The address is home to Aller, one of Scandinavia’s oldest and most influential media houses, whose roots in Copenhagen stretch back to the 19th century. The company began in 1873 as a pioneering publishing venture and went on to create some of the Nordic region’s best-known magazines and weeklies. Over decades it expanded across Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, shifting from print-only titles into a broad portfolio that includes lifestyle media, digital platforms and branded content. After earlier premises elsewhere in the city, Aller consolidated its Danish headquarters here at Havneholmen. The move to this purpose-built complex symbolised a new era: a media company that still values storytelling and print yet operates firmly in the digital age. Today the building houses offices for several Aller entities and related companies, making it an important hub in the Nordic media landscape.

Design by PLH Architects and distinctive form

Aller House was designed by Copenhagen-based PLH Architects, known for workplace and commercial projects that blend functionality with expressive form. Covering around 28,000 square metres, the building reads from outside as a sculpted volume shaped by wind, water and movement. Angled façades and sweeping curves give it a dynamic, almost aerodynamic look, as if the structure could gently glide along the harbour. The extensive use of glass brings daylight deep into the interior office floors, while horizontal bands of cladding emphasise its long, low profile along the quay. At certain angles, the structure appears to hover above the waterline, making it a popular subject for architectural photography from the promenades and nearby bridges. By day it mirrors the busy harbour activity; after dark, interior lighting turns it into a glowing lantern on the waterfront.

Life around Havneholmen and Bryggebroen

Although Havneholmen 33 itself is a working office building with restricted internal access, its surroundings are fully woven into the public fabric of the city. Just across the canal sits the large Fisketorvet shopping centre with its cinemas and eateries, while the Bryggebroen bridge links pedestrians and cyclists to Islands Brygge and beyond. In summer, the waterfront paths fill with joggers, families and commuters pausing to look back at the building’s reflection in the water. The quayside environment here blends hard-edged urban infrastructure with softer touches such as seating niches, plantings and occasional art pieces. Modern residential blocks, other corporate headquarters and harbourfront cafés complete the scene. For architecture enthusiasts, it is an easy place to combine a visit to Aller House’s exterior with a wider stroll through Copenhagen’s evolving harbourfront.

Photographing and experiencing the building

From a visitor’s perspective, the appeal of Havneholmen 33 lies in observing how the building interacts with its setting. Photographers often work from the opposite side of the canal or midway across Bryggebroen to capture its sweeping glass façades, while close-up views along the quay reveal the subtle detailing of the cladding and the building’s interplay with the waterline. Cloudy days can be just as rewarding as sunny ones, as reflections shift with the changing light. Spending time here also offers a window into contemporary Copenhagen work culture. Office lights flicker on early in the morning, cyclists converge at nearby bridges and harbour buses slip past on regular routes. Though the building is primarily a corporate head office, its bold architecture, prominent waterfront siting and link to a historic media company make it a noteworthy stop for anyone curious about the city’s ongoing harbour transformation.

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