Buildings

This article was originally published on July 28, 2016. To read the stories behind other celebrated architecture projects, visit our AD Classics section.

Six million yellow bricks on a hilltop just outside Copenhagen form one of the world’s foremost, if not perhaps comparatively unknown, Expressionist monuments. Grundtvigs Kirke (“Grundtvig’s Church”), designed by architect Peder Vilhelm Jensen Klint, was built between 1921 and 1940 as a memorial to N.F.S. Grundtvig – a famed Danish pastor, philosopher, historian, hymnist, and politician of the 19th century.[1] Jensen Klint, inspired by Grundtvig’s humanist interpretation of Christianity, merged the scale and stylings of a Gothic cathedral with the aesthetics of a Danish country church to create a landmark worthy of its namesake.[2]

With breathtaking views of Mt. Rokko to the north and a vast waterscape to the south, Kobe sits as a strip of land with phenomenal views both inland and to the sea. Located one block from the Kobe Sea on a tree-lined boulevard that includes the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art and several national museums, the 500,000-square-foot Sun City Kobe Tower complex provides the ultimate in senior living through attention to detail and amenities, resulting in a vibrant community in which residents can thrive. The design seeks to create a living environment that represents a seamless merger of architecture, landscape, and interiors, and that celebrates this unique city and environment.