Allerhuset at Havneholmen 33

A modern media house on the harbour edge

Completed in 2009, the building at Havneholmen 33 – often called Allerhuset – stands as a bold piece of contemporary Danish architecture at the edge of Copenhagen’s inner harbour. Designed by PLH Architects as the headquarters for Aller, one of the Nordic region’s major magazine and media publishers, the structure brings together offices, editorial floors and communal areas in a compact, sculptural form.From the outside, the building reads like a low-rise tower resting on a broad base that steps down towards the water. Generous glazing and sharp angles make it feel light and transparent despite its size, while the facades subtly mirror the changing colours of the harbour and sky. It is very much a working building, yet its presence on the waterfront has also made it a quiet reference point for anyone exploring this part of the city.

Harbour island turned contemporary district

Havneholmen itself is a relatively new urban quarter, once a working harbour area and now transformed into a dense mix of offices, apartments, walkways and bridges. Havneholmen 33 occupies a prominent position here, close to the canal that separates the island from the Fisketorvet shopping centre and the broader Kalvebod Brygge waterfront. The surroundings are quintessentially modern Copenhagen: cyclists streaming across bridges, runners tracing the harbourfront, and small boats sliding past at water level.Although Havneholmen 33 is private office space, the public realm around it is open and inviting. Boardwalks, steps and low walls create informal places to sit by the water, while the neighbouring Cykelslangen and Bryggebroen bridges knit the area into the wider harbour network. The building becomes part of an urban ensemble where architecture, infrastructure and the harbour landscape are meant to be experienced together.

Architectural details and interior life

The building’s design reflects its role as a creative workplace. Large, open floor plates inside allow editorial teams and corporate staff to work on flexible layouts, with internal atria and staircases encouraging visual connections across levels. High windows draw in daylight from several directions, a hallmark of Scandinavian design, while terraces and roof areas offer staff direct contact with fresh air and harbour views during breaks.Externally, the geometry is carefully controlled, with angled corners and overlapping volumes that catch the light differently throughout the day. At certain viewpoints the structure resembles a ship’s bow projecting towards the water, underscoring its maritime setting. Materials are primarily glass, metal and light-toned finishes, giving the building a clean, contemporary look that contrasts with the darker water below and the brick and concrete of older harbour buildings further along the quay.

A node in Copenhagen’s digital and creative landscape

Beyond its physical presence, Havneholmen 33 has become a small hub in Copenhagen’s knowledge and media economy. As well as housing Aller’s headquarters, the address is also used by other digital and technology-oriented companies, reinforcing the area’s identity as a modern business district. The concentration of offices, combined with nearby cafés and shopping, means the surroundings feel active on weekdays, especially during working hours and late afternoon.This professional focus gives the building a different character from the city’s historic monuments. Rather than commemorating the past, Havneholmen 33 is a snapshot of how contemporary Copenhagen works: media production, digital services and harbourfront urbanism all layered into one compact site. For architecture enthusiasts, it shows how corporate architecture can still contribute positively to the cityscape.

Experiencing the waterfront setting

For visitors, the main appeal lies not in entering the offices but in observing how the building interacts with the harbour environment. The waterfront paths nearby provide shifting perspectives: from one angle, the glass surfaces frame reflections of Islands Brygge; from another, the offices line up with the orange sweep of the Cykelslangen cycle bridge. Evening light often turns the facades into a soft mirror of the city’s glow, while early mornings can feel almost meditative as the area slowly wakes up.Benches, low steps and the edges of the quayside invite you to pause and watch the harbour traffic, making Havneholmen 33 part of a wider promenade experience along the inner harbour. It is a place where modern architecture, everyday working life and the simple pleasure of being by the water all overlap, offering a compact but telling glimpse of Copenhagen’s contemporary identity.