Danish architecture firm ADEPT has completed a tap-house on Danish harbour, providing possibility for "future disassembly" if the site meets a potential temporary lease of land.

Called The Braunstein Taphouse, the 1,000-square-metre building is located at the harbour of Danish city Koege and will welcome the more than 15.000 yearly visitors to the nearby micro-brewery Braunstein and offers activities for the local community.

Taking cues from the old warehouses at the harbor, the building was designed as a "demountable" architectural component to adapt to a possible temporary lifespan of the building. 

For this reason, the design of building is based on simple tectonic principles, and is completed with mechanical joints only.

"The building stands on stretch of municipality owned harbour quay that is considered a potential part of the city’s climate adaption strategy," said ADEPT in its project description. 

"To adapt to this possible temporary lifespan, the Braunstein Tap-house is ‘designed for disassembly’ to make recycling of building components an realistic option if the building cannot stay – either by re-completing the entire building at a different location or by using the materials as part of other projects."

The building is composed of few and sustainable materials that as far as possible are not mixed. 

"This has reduced the volume of waste from the construction considerable compared to similar constructions," according to the office. 

All primary wall surfaces are without paint or grout. Wooden floors are laid with waste product from nearby flooring manufacturer Junckers. The Taphouse is marked by a large roof structure that creates a secondary floor. 

The large roof surfaces are made from click-joint polycarbonate, while wood facades are made from the CO2 neutral Accoya that is certified Cradle2Cradle Gold, FSC as well as the Danish eco-label Svanemaerket. 

The Taphouse is partly self-sufficient with electricity from solar panels and natural ventilation reduces the need for mechanical ventilation.

"It was important to us to design the taphouse as a locally anchored building that supports the idea of a new local meeting place," said ADEPT. 

"The significant gables are inspired by some of the old warehouses at the harbor, which is part of making the building a natural part of the raw maritime identity." 

"Because of the possibility of a limited lifespan for the building, we have worked with principles from ’design for disassembly’, which means that the house is constructed with only mechanical joints," the studio added.

The Braunstein Taphouse is located at the transition point between the city and the harbor and act as a gateway that underlines the connection between water and city. 

The ground floor of the building accommodates a café at one end and a restaurant at the other, while the upper floor is used for local community activities and private events.

The historic buildings and the raw industrial atmosphere at the harbour have inspired the architecture and the urban spaces around it. The result is a clean cut architecture that underlines the identity of the harbour in a locally anchored project - both belonging and completely its own.

Site plan

Ground floor plan

Plan level 1

Section AA

Section BB

East elevation

South elevation

North elevation

Axonometric drawing 

Project facts

Project name: The Braunstein Taphouse

Architects: ADEPT 

Location: Koege DK

Year: 2020

Area: 1.000 m2

Client: Braustein Brewery 

Collaboration: HPH Totalbyg

All images © Rasmus Hjortshøj Coast Studio

All drawings © ADEPT 

> via ADEPT