CUSTOM HOUSE

Copenhagen

NORDIC VENTURE PARTNER

CONRAN HOLDINGS LTD

DEVELOPMENT CASE

Three top restaurants under one roof, offering the ultimate choice in modern gastronomy – from a sophisticated bistro & grill to Japanese or Italian cooking. Exquisitely designed to your taste by the Conran group.

When Nordic Venture Partners first contemplated the revitalization of Copenhagen’s waterfront, it was little wonder that the Conran Group was the first partner to spring to mind.

Copenhagen is a city in flux. Standing on the waterfront at the site of the Custom House, you are surrounded by architectural and cultural innovation on all sides. Behind you lies Nyhavn - the oldest part of Copenhagen’s harbor, now populated by a huge variety of restaurants and bars: a magnet for locals and travellers alike. Ahead of you and across the water stands the new Opera House, opened in 2005 and as distinctive in its features as the Sydney Opera House (also built by a Dane, naturally). Dominating the entrance to Copenhagen’s port, it totals over 41,000 square meters, spread over 14 storeys, of which five lie underground.

Directly opposite the Opera House lies a vast building site, where construction is under way on a new home for Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre. Danish architects Boje Lundgaard and Lene Tranberg saw off 332 entrants in an international competition to win the commission for the new thousand-seat Playhouse - and the result is scheduled to open in late 2007.

Heading southwest along the waterfront, you soon arrive at the Black Diamond, the long-awaited extension to Copenhagen’s Royal Library, designed by the architects Schmidt, Hammer and Lassen - and an example of Scandinavian building design at its best. Opened at the turn of the millennium, it has become a major cultural destination, housing exhibition spaces, shops, restaurants and cafés. Beyond that lies the Little Mermaid - the unmistakable national icon of Denmark, exquisitely sculpted by Edvard Eriksen and donated to the city in 1888 by Carl Jacobsen - founder of the Carlsberg brewery.

And there, in the midst of all this cultural activity, stands the Custom House - a ship- like structure, originally conceived as an administrative centre, but which has stood deserted for several years: an empty vessel in search of a new idea.

The first meeting between Conran and Nordic Venture Partner ended with a firm handshake and a shared sense of purpose. Tina Norden was the project architect brought in by Conran to take the creative lead. Here, she talks about how the plans for the Custom House itself gradually took shape.

“While the Custom House isn’t actually listed, it’s a building that everyone in Copenhagen knows - so we were very conscious of respecting that. We wanted it to be in keeping with the spirit of the area. Given its sheer size, we quickly decided that it should house more than one restaurant. There was a chance to create a variety of experiences within a single, overarching brand. A brand which would keep people coming back again and again. Nordic Venture Partner was very involved in that thinking. In fact, it was their idea to make one of the restaurants Italian. Copenhagen has a wonderful restaurant scene, but not enough good Italian places, so it made sense to go in that direction - but you need local knowledge to do that.”

“The other important thing, which we all agreed on at an early stage, was that it should be about more than restaurants alone. We wanted to bring that whole food element to life - with bakeries, delicatessens and an organic market, full of local produce that would change on a seasonal basis. It transforms the whole area into an integral part of the local community.”

However great its impact, the Custom House project is the first step in a much longer journey. Des Gunewardena, Chief Executive of the Conran Group, explains how he was always struck by the untapped potential of the surrounding area.

“Nordic Venture Partner approached us with some very interesting ideas - and not just about the building. They had a vision for how the whole thing would work. And that’s what appealed to us. In recent years, much of Copenhagen’s waterfront has been redeveloped - and beautifully so - but there is this stretch in the middle that is strangely neglected. Which is odd, because so many exciting things surround it. It meant we had a bigger picture to think about. How could we link these exciting developments together and achieve something great for the city in the long term? That’s what makes this a classic Conran project. The location is utterly unique. It has the potential to become a true destination.”

Together, Nordic Venture Partner and the Conran Group devised a plan that could provide the crucial missing link in the cultural renaissance that has gripped Copenhagen in recent years. While the waterfront is dotted with new cultural attractions, they remain disparate and disconnected, with no continuous walkway from one end to the other. And those parts of the waterfront that are accessible have none of the character or appeal of Copenhagen’s old harbor.

The plans in development will change all that, providing a connecting route along the length of the waterfront, infused with greenery and bustling with life. For the first time, it will be possible to walk all the way from the Little Mermaid right along past the Customs.

With its location opposite the new opera house and next to the new playhouse for the Danish Royal Theatre, the area - named Gammelholm - is one of Copenhagen’s most important areas. For many years, the area was completely abandoned, but now it is being developed around the old customs house. With its characteristic naval shape, it provides the setting for an international restaurant concept with three restaurants and banqueting facilities under the same roof. Outdoor service and retail outlets selling fresh produce from the restaurants will further boost the activities on the quay.

“This is a hugely exciting project for us in a wonderful waterfront location, which has many similarities to our restaurants and shops in Butlers Wharf. Copenhagen is a sophisticated city, synonymous with elegant and beautiful design. We hope the Danish will enjoy what we have to offer.”

- David Loewi Managing Director, Conran Restaurants

STORY behind CONRAN HOLDINGS LTD

Sir Terence Conran has spent five decades at the forefront of not just one creative industry, but also several. In 1964, he founded the immensely influential Habitat chain of stores, realizing his desire to make simple, modern design accessible to a mass market for the first time. Today, his elegant brand of furniture design can be found in Conran Shops in London, New York, Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Tokyo and Fukuoka.

As Chairman of an international group of companies involved in design, architecture, retail and restaurants, Conran continues to exert a powerful influence in many areas of creative and commercial life. A keen cook and gastronome, he has transformed the experience of eating out in London with his acclaimed restaurants, including Almeida, Bibendum, Bluebird, Mezzo, Orrery and Quaglino’s. In 1998, he opened Alcazar in Paris; 1999 saw Berns restaurant open in Stockholm; and in 2000, Guastavino’s restaurants and bars opened as part of the prestigious Bridgemarket redevelopment in New York.

Conran’s architectural projects include residences, hotels, restaurants and museums worldwide, with recent highlights including Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh, Rex Bar in Iceland and the Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin. The Group has also worked on the redevelopment of the Great Eastern Hotel in London, the Bridgemarket site in Manhattan and the Roppongi Hills Club in Tokyo - a spectacularly designed space on the 51st floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower.

If there is one thing that underpins all of this work, it is a belief in the regenerative power of great design. “Creative transformation keeps cities alive,” Conran once remarked. His work in London, New York, Tokyo - and now Copenhagen - is a living testimony to that belief.