Henning Larsen - Denmark
Photo: Jonathan Becker
For several years Henning Larsen's office has been one of the largest architectural firms in Denmark with over 100 employees. During the seventies and eighties, one project followed the other and their production could be described as a modest cronology. During the nineties, there has been a profusion of projects and buildings. These are architectural statements that can be categorized according to place, function and changing inspiration, but which can also be seen as a retention of certain values. It is these consistent features that make Henning Larsen's office something special. There is a consistant turnover of employees and the office is considered a place where young talented architects grow and develop before leaving to form their own careers. Henning Larsen's daily activity is much like that of a teacher at an architecture school. He does not have an office of his own and does not play executive officer on a daily basis. He spends most of his time at the drawing boards discussing and sketching. It is this interplay between Henning Larsen and his staff, which results in the continuity and innovation that characterize the work of the office. Most of their commisions are still the result of competitions, which again require a balance between traditional, professional virtues and an avant-garde search for that which has yet to be seen.
Professor Nils-Ole Lund architect MAA
excerpts from "The Perpetual and the Momentary"
Henning Larsen
Jonathan Becker's Proof Sheet Gallery
