Aarhus Police Station
For For 104 years, the Aarhus police force was housed in the old Aarhus Town Hall (now the Women’s Museum and the Occupation Museum). As the city grew and the police force expanded, the need for a modern and purpose-built facility became clear.
Completed in 1983 and designed by Alex Poulsen Architects, the new Aarhus Police Station reflects a Scandinavian approach to police headquarters architecture, where functionality, security, and contextual sensitivity come together to create a civic building that integrates naturally with its urban surroundings.
As early as 1870, an architectural competition was announced by the Aarhus City Council, but the plans remained unrealized for more than a century.
Facts
-
Architect
-
Aarhus Municipality
-
Aarhus, Denmark
-
2,200 m²
-
Completed in 1983
-
Ingeniørfirmaet Rambøll & Hannemann
Ingeniørfirmaet Crone & Kock
Landskabsarkitekterne J. Arevad-Jacobsen
A police station in growth
The idea was revived a century later, in March 1975, when the Aarhus City Council approved the Ministry of Justice’s proposal to purchase land at Dynkarken Sønder Allé. The project was awarded to Alex Poulsen’s Architecture Office (now Alex Poulsen Architects) with contributions from Rambøll & Hannemann, Crone & Kock, and landscape architect J. Arevad-Jacobsen.
Construction began in 1981 with completion in 1983, marking one of the Ministry of Justice’s most extensive building initiatives of the period.
Introverted architecture
The design conveys authority while creating a secure and efficient working environment. Its introverted layout, with hallways facing the street and offices opening onto an internal courtyard, minimizes urban noise and creates a calm and contained work environment.
Red brick facades complement the architectural character of central Aarhus, linking the new headquarters to the city’s historic context through material continuity and scale.
Continuous development
Today, urban development in Aarhus has "surrounded" the police station, and there are plans to relocate the police station out of the city center and develop the land. We see potential in maintaining a certain level of closure towards Dynkarken, which is heavily trafficked, while opening up towards the bus station and the area around Aarhus Street Food. The building deserves a feasibility study, not just a bulldozer. We are happy to provide concrete suggestions.
