COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL), the Danish architecture studio that joined global design firm Perkins&Will in 2018, has merged with Copenhagen-based Rørbæk og Møller Arkitekter, the award-winning practice behind the renovation of the Copenhagen University Library, the restoration of the National Bank of Denmark, and several projects at the Technical University of Denmark, including the Life Sciences and Bioengineering Building.
“Denmark is an irrefutable leader in architecture and design and has an outsized impact on the world. Therefore, Schmidt Hammer Lassen is critical to Perkins&Will’s success,” says Phil Harrison, CEO of Perkins&Will. “Together we are a larger, more diverse, and more capable practice, with Rørbæk og Møller’s competencies complementing SHL’s and vice-versa. Indeed, we’re now one of the strongest architectural practices in Scandinavia.”
For more than 70 years, Rørbæk og Møller has built a strong reputation for excellence in Denmark, and has developed a specialty in transforming existing buildings and restoring heritage spaces. The firm’s expertise includes designing higher education buildings, science and technology labs and offices, social housing, and government facilities.
SHL has a long legacy of designing and delivering significant projects in Denmark and abroad. Its expertise includes libraries, cultural centers, university buildings, corporate headquarters, mixed-use urban developments and hospitals. Among other projects, SHL is currently working on one of the world’s tallest residential timber towers—Rocket & Tigerli—in Switzerland, and is nearing completion of ARoS Next Level, a museum expansion in Aarhus, Denmark featuring the largest “Skyspace” by renowned American artist James Turrell.
“For both SHL and Rørbæk og Møller, professional quality with an uncompromising attention to detail is absolutely essential. Our work must last for generations, age gracefully, and be adaptable to the changing needs of the times,” says Sanne Wall-Gremstrup, managing director of SHL. “With Rørbæk og Møller, we can design and deliver architecture at an even higher level, while providing specialized expertise in transformation and preservation that many of our clients are increasingly seeking.”
Through the acquisition, Rørbæk og Møller’s staff will eventually collocate with SHL, expanding SHL’s combined Copenhagen and Aarhus staff from 80 to 150. Rørbæk og Møller will operate under the SHL name.
“This is a natural next step for Rørbæk og Møller’s growth. I am very proud to join not only Schmidt Hammer Lassen, one of the most celebrated architectural firms in Denmark, but also Perkins&Will, one of the most respected and sustainable design firms in the world,” says Nicolai Overgaard, Rørbæk og Møller’s managing director. “With offices all around the world, our fantastic combined team now has the opportunity to work on even more exciting projects. I am very much looking forward to this.”
