jaja architects

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jaja architects

The official jaja page. Stick around for news, events and project updates. JAJA means Yes Yes!

It is a mindset committed to exploring the entire field of architecture and urban planning - and to transform its complex compositions into crystal clear ideas. As in solving a algorithm, we include all parameters, all data, process it and boil it down to simple answers to complex problems. In this rigorous process, we find ourselves able with minimal interventions to unfold a project's maximum potential.

30/03/2026

Throwback to 2019, when we won the competition to design a wooden parking house for Aarhus Municipality!

More than just a place for cars, the project rethinks the typology as a green and creative oasis. Small pavilions are woven into the structure, opening up space for social and cultural activities to unfold.

Paths and greenery from the surrounding park extend onto the façade, where they form a vertical landscape of espaliers and active balconies.

Inside, 2,000 m² are dedicated to public life, hosting functions like a gym, gallery, and café – turning the parking house into a vibrant destination in itself.

Made in collaboration with and Søren Jensen Engineering

04/03/2026

Milestone!

On Monday, we took the next major step in the development of Sejlbryggen as we officially marked the start of construction at ‘Construction Site J’ with the groundbreaking ceremony.

Sejlbryggen will become a new vibrant waterfront district, combining residential and commercial spaces in a unique setting by the harbor – with canals between the residential islands and a continuous, green harbor promenade connecting the area from north to south.

The design draws on the classic Copenhagen karré typology, reinterpreted and carefully adapted to the scale, character, and contemporary needs of Sejlbryggen. The architectural concept is structured as a horizontally articulated building volume – composed of base, body, and roof – where the overall scale is broken down through a series of shifts in height and plan. With the H.C. Ørsted power plant as a backdrop, the facades take inspiration from the historic building’s distinctive red tones – a nod to the site’s industrial past.

Wood is the primary material in the load-bearing structures, significantly reducing the project’s carbon footprint compared to conventional construction methods.

The project is made in collaboration with: AP Ejendomme, 5E Byg, , and .official – and forms part of the wider Sejlbryggen development, with , , and also involved.

We are looking much forward to follow the development!

20/02/2026

Bagsværd Observation Home is the winner of Archdaily Building of the Year in the housing category!

More than 70,000 nominations from 100 countries were submitted this year, narrowing a pool of more than 3,000 projects to five finalists, and now 15 winners.

This is the result of a team great team effort with and ABC Engineers, generously supported by and The A.P Møller Foundation. Main contractor: Jakon

Originally built as a summer villa for the royal court dentist in the early 1900s, the Bagsværd Observation Home, located by the scenic Bagsværd Lake, serves children and families who need extra support during difficult times. The villa has undergone extensive renovation and expansion, blending historical charm with modern functionality to meet the needs of today’s families.

Read more via link in bio

11/02/2026

Konditaget Lüders covered in snow ❄️

Beautifully caught by

30/01/2026

We are still riding the high from last Friday in Faaborg, where the winning project for the transformation of Slagteribygningen was announced. Seeing people queuing up before the doors opened and throughout the afternoon confirmed just how special this project and Faaborg are!

Now, we’re fully focused on what comes next: Creating an open, vibrant hub for culture, community and food innovation while preserving as much as possible of the building.

You can learn more about the project via link in comments below.

The project is made in collaboration with with BBP Arkitekter , Søren Jensen, and LYTT Architecture and developed with Faaborg-Midtfyn Kommune, Realdania, Nordea-fonden, and Statens Kunstfond.

Photos: Slagteribygningen/ Faaborg-Midtfyn Kommune

28/01/2026

Big milestone for Nyborg Castle – the project is now officially out to tender 🎉

We have been part of this journey since 2016, so it's very exciting to see constructing finally on the horizon! The project will deliver a new museum wing, a fortification wall, a new castle bridge, and the elevation of the existing watchtower, restoring its role as a lookout point toward the Great Belt.

In parallel with the tender process, several preparatory works will take place at Slotsholmen over the next six months, including site clearing, removal of the current bridge, and levelling of the embankment along the castle lake.

We can’t wait to follow the next chapter!

Thanks to Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen, Østfyns Museer, A.P. Møller Fonden and Realdania for making it happen.

And everyone else involved: H+ A/S, Henry Jensen, and Erik Brandt Dam.

24/01/2026

We are proud and excited to share that our proposal for transforming ‘Slagteribygningen Faaborg’ has been selected as the winner! Together with , Søren Jensen and we will help transform the former factory into an open, vibrant hub for culture, community and food innovation.

Our proposal is based on a progressive yet simple approach: Preserve as much of the existing building as possible and add only what is necessary to create an open and future-proof centre of life and culture. The judging panel highlighted the project’s architectural quality, high flexibility and effective use of natural light.

“The winning project strikes precisely the balance we have been looking for: respect for the building’s industrial heritage combined with open and inviting architecture that can accommodate both everyday life and large communal experiences,” - Gyrithe Saltorp, chair of the board of Ejendomsfonden Slagteribygningen.

At the heart of the project is a large indoor square – a flexible space where library functions, community life, culture, events, and food entrepreneurship come together. From here, activities flow into each other and out into the surrounding harbour-side spaces.

Introducing a lightweight roof structure – “The Lantern” – the design brings natural light deep into the building while the façade preserves the building’s gravitas and makes it more open and welcoming.
The project aims to inspire smaller Danish towns how to rethink empty industrial buildings, providing new quality of life and local pride – without sacrificing history.
We are now looking ahead to the next phase, where the project will be further developed towards the start of construction in early 2027.

The project is developed in collaboration with and Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality

14/01/2026

Throwback to when we helped transform the iconic Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse. To maintain the history of the site, building and function, we reinterpreted the prism and designed an installation that, instead of sending light towards the sea, casts light inside the tower.

Collaboration:
📷:

12/01/2026

Why is it important for architects to focus on demolitions?

Join us at Circular Build Forum January 26-27 where our transformation expert Nikolaj Callisen-Friis joins a session via the MRK network (Environmental and Resource Management), discussing how resource studies can create real value in practice.

Nikolaj is also a member of the CBF Committee and has helped shape this year’s program, featuring presentations from architects, researchers, foundations, municipalities, and more.

About Circular Build Forum
The Circular Build Forum is a non-profit, two-day congress focused on knowledge sharing, dialogue, and networking across the construction and civil engineering sectors. The forum aims to strengthen collaboration and help lay the groundwork for the future of construction, built on circular economy thinking. That is why we want to share this event – because we believe knowledge sharing and collaboration are key to accelerating circular construction.

You can find tickets and read more about the program via link in comments 👇

19/12/2025

Santa’s sleigh is undergoing refurbishment, and JAJA has been invited to design a new and temporary replacement that offers joy, social interaction, and urban presence to the streets of Copenhagen.

Commissioned by the elves, we have designed a 2025 version of the classic sleigh, strengthening Santa’s presence in the streets by bringing him a cargo-bike. Inspired by Christmas, we have placed a Christmas tree, giving a warm and welcoming sleigh that turns any location into a temporary public space.

The Dream Sleigh can unfold so that both elves and humans can share their Christmas wishes, wrap presents, and enjoy a glass of hot glögg. When on the move, The Dream Sleigh becomes a living green billboard, bringing Christmas spirit to the entire city!

Last Friday, we took it for a spin – check out how it went.

Merry Christmas from all of JAJA 🎄

The bike is developed in collaboration with Mathias Nordby and Frederik Møller Jensen.

Built and painted by The Lab, BLACK IRON HORSE and Rama Studio.

08/12/2025

A 1:1 facade mockup has now been built for the upcoming exhibition wing at Nyborg Castle – an exciting milestone in a project we’ve been working on since 2015!

Embedded in the masonry, traces of Nyborg Castle’s many stories are clearly visible. Built over 800 years ago, the castle has served as a fortress, royal residence, center of power in the Middle Ages, later military storage, and today a museum. These historical layers are visible in the existing masonry of the Royal Wing – and they continue in the design of the new ring wall, exhibition wing, and watchtower extension.

The new masonry interprets the castle’s history by using three stone formats, each representing significant periods in the castle’s life:

• Monk stone – from the castle’s medieval origins
• Flensburg stone – from its period of decline in the 1600s-1700s
• Danish standard format – from the present day

The distribution of the stones is graded in the façade: Monk bricks concentrated at ground level, transitioning to Flensburg bricks and then to the standard format at the top of the wall. This creates a masonry that intertwines the castle’s history with the present and its continued development.

Until now, these ideas have lived only on paper, but now they can finally be seen in reality!

The mock-up allows us to test and refine details and will serve as a fixed reference throughout the entire project.

We look forward to following and sharing the next steps!

Thanks to , , and for making it happen.

And everyone else involved: .dk , Henry Jensen A/S, and .

📸 & 🧱 mockups by DREIER & CO.

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Heimdalsgade 35, Baghuset, 3
Copenhagen
2200

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+4533330713

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http://www.jaja.archi/

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