We are excited to share that ‘Harmonikahusene’ in Frederiksberg is a candidate for the Årets Arne 2026 award!

With 700 compact homes for students and young professionals, Harmonikahusene shows how micro-living can offer extraordinary quality of life. At the heart of the design is the custom bay window: a daylight amplifier, a social gathering spot, and a noiseless, naturally ventilated buffer from Åboulevard, Copenhagen’s busiest urban street. These sculpted niches transform small apartments into generous, flexible homes where residents can study, meet friends, or simply enjoy far-reaching views.

The building’s rhythmic, accordion-like façade grows naturally from the interior qualities of the bay windows, just as its overall organic form responds to the scale and rhythm of Frederiksberg’s historic cityscape. Set back from the busy road to create a generous planted buffer zone on one side, the building opens toward green courtyards, rooftop gardens, and lively communal spaces on the other.

The inviting ground floor anchors communal life – it houses shared facilities like laundry, study areas, a library, living room, and fitness space, strengthening community across the 700 homes. The choice of a compact building typology made it possible to safeguard space for a generous courtyard and a local park, welcoming the wider Frederiksberg and Copenhagen community.

Out of sight, more than 1,100 bike parking spaces have been integrated, along with a ‘bike-in, bike-out’ ramp that connects the building directly to Copenhagen’s supercycle path. Carefully tuned to its surroundings, Harmonikahusene creates an open, car-free micro-neighbourhood contributing new green spaces, public functions, and a strong architectural identity to Frederiksberg.

If you are an MAA, make your vote count!

Discover all the candidates selected by Arkitektforeningen.

Discover more about the project.

CREDITS
Client: Nrep
Lead consultant: CG Jensen A/S
Architect: EFFEKT
Engineer: Artelia Denmark
With big thanks to Frederiksberg Kommune!