In recent years, the newest quarter Aarhus Ø has been built on the former container terminal of Aarhus amid the fresh scent of salt water and the whistling of the wind. There, several apartment blocks were built under the project name "Lighthouse". With its 381 luxury apartments, several restaurants and a roof terrace, "The Lighthouse 2.0" is now making a significant contribution to the modern look of the district. Designed by the renowned Danish architectural firm 3XN Architects, the building was awarded the title of the world's best skyscraper in the category of 100-199 meters height by the non-profit organisation Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) in 2023. Rightly so. In addition to the exceptional height for Denmark, the building also offers a phenomenal panoramic view of the bay and the skyline.
Pioneer: Our ACS self-climbing system is conquering the Danish market
When construction began in 2019, Rene Østergård, Sales Engineer at PERI Denmark, was already in talks with Per Aarsleff A/S. The Danish construction company was looking for a formwork and scaffolding specialist who was familiar with safety precautions and logistical challenges as well as creative special solutions. Rene maintained a close relationship with Aarsleff – not only because of the project, but also because his former boss works there.
“He knew how I work and how important it is for me to understand the client. In addition to the appreciative and trust-based past, our excellent systems and our expertise in complex high-rise projects also made a decisive difference," says Rene. This is how we ultimately received the project.
To exploit the full range of experience, our Danish team was supported by our German colleagues, who have already successfully completed several high-rise projects of this scale and, in particular, had experience with climbing systems.
"Since our ACS Self-Climbing System was used for the first time in Denmark for this project, we were glad that we could rely on the many years of expertise of our colleagues," explains Rene. By communicating closely with Aarsleff, they were able to concrete a floor in less than a week using our rail-guided climbing system, which significantly speed up the construction process. This is made possible by the hydraulic system that implements the wall formwork quickly and safely. Thanks to the enclosure of the slab edges with the RCS-P protection screen, the construction workers enjoyed additional protection from wind and weather.
As the “lighthouse” grew bit by bit, the construction of the extraordinary metal roof drew ever nearer. Its curved shape and the different inclinations and differences in height required an innovative special solution. "Since there was no space for our PERI UP Scaffolding at the top and it would not have been profitable to equip the entire building, our solution was to build a temporary platform on the 43rd floor on which the scaffolding would stand," says Rene. The 43rd and thus penultimate floor was best suited for the platform according to static calculations. Steel beams were installed, which protruded 4 meters out of the building and supported the 12m freestanding PERI UP scaffolding. Subsequently, the construction workers had built a total of 50 tons of our scaffolding material there, which was needed for the construction of the demanding glass curtain wall, and curved roof. After completion, the platform was dismantled so that the building could once again reveal its full splendor.
High level of safety at dizzying heights
There were strict safety requirements to ensure that all this work was possible at a height of over 140 meters. ”The location directly on the sea made the construction site a windy affair. To reduce the wind load, air-permeable fine mesh was attached, allowing some of the air to pass through. This reduced the wind pressure and provided more safety – both for the workers on the scaffolding and for the people down on the streets.
In the end, our Danish team was not only involved in the tallest residential building in Denmark, it also further established our efficient ACS Self-Climbing System in subsequent construction projects. "What we achieved makes me very proud. It was a special project that helped us advance in this country," Rene sums up.
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