15 architecture SDG Pavilions are on display on selected locations in Copenhagen, including the city’s iconic harbor area, for the UIA World Congress of Architects which took place from July 2 to 6, 2023 at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Opened to visitors around the city during the congress, the 15 SDG Pavilions are 1:1 experimental projects addressing the main questions of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs).

The pavilions are showcased in accordance with the theme of the UIA World Congress "Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind". 

Some pavilions emphasize recycling, reassembly or reuse themes and put emphasis on responsible consumption of materials, while others are designed for permanent display in the city.

The SDG Pavilions deal with a complex mix of goals and sub-goals on social, economic, and environmental sustainability, on the other hand, they also try to provide answers to a palette of today's different challenges.

Each pavilion was completed as the result of a collaboration between architects, engineers, material producers, science institutions, associations, and foundations, all relating to one or more of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

The SDG Pavilions were designed by a diverse group of young and established Danish architecture studios, including Schmidt Hammer Lassen, EFFEKT, Architects Without Borders Denmark, ReVærk, LOKAL, Leth & Gori, Rønnow Architects, GXN, FORMA, Terroir, AART, Mangor & Nagel, NOAA Architects, Studio Coquille, Tan & Blixenkrone, ATENASTUDIO, and MAST.

Read on to explore the full pavilions with their short project descriptions by architects:

Image © Sandra Gonon, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

(P)recast by GXN

Partners: Teknologisk Institut, Aarsleff, COWI, Aarhus Universitet, Tscherning, Søndergaard, Peikko, Hi-Con, Dansk Standard, Dansk Beton, Brabrand Boligforening, AP Pension

Venue: Copenhagen Contemporary, Refshaleøen

"Developed for the 2023 UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen by GXN - an innovation arm of 3XN, the (P)recast Pavilion consists of five modules of concrete walls framed by demolished 200-year-old timber beams. The elements were sourced from the demolition of a school in Vanløse and Jagtvej 169 in Østerbro respectively. These pieces have been carefully removed from the obsolete structures and are ready to be reused as concrete elements in a new structure. The pavilion structure is designed for disassembly such that the elements will either be reused elsewhere as concrete elements or used in testing after being displayed at Refshaleøen."

Image © Johan Reeh, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

Bio-Center by Architects Without Borders 

Partners: National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda, ACTogether Uganda, BLOX, Dreyers foundation, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Venue: BLOX, Bryghusgade 10

"A 16-square-metre pavilion, situated in the OMA-designed BLOX, represents a building type of a sanitation project, providing a range of essential services to a densely populated slum – while also creating a much-needed social meeting place. Architects Without Borders also built Uganda’s first bio-center in a slum in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

The pavilion consists of 3 core elements, each representing an important component of the biocenter: Firstly, the sanitary installation, which is represented by a toilet, surrounded by an environment of white tiles. The simple toilet is instantly recognizable, but with BLOX as a backdrop and the Copenhagen harbor as a location, it also creates wonder and curiosity.

The second element is the base of the pavilion, which consists of a round wooden bench and a plinth on which the toilet sits. These parts represent the building’s large underground bio-tank, which is a central but hidden part of the building. In the pavilion, the bench and plinth invite visitors to sit down and learn about the Bio-centre or just take a rest."

Image © Gul Kozacioglu

Bricks in Common by AART, Mangor & Nagel – part of AART, NOAA

Partners: OJ Consulting Engineers, Copenhagen Mason’s Guild, NEXT KBH, Tech College Aalborg, Ampell, BEGA, Egernsund Wienerberger, Gamle Mursten, KALK, CRH Concrete, Søndergaard Nedrivning, Vognmand Peter Falck, Bevica Foundation, VIHDA

Venue: Havnegade, in front of no. 37

"Bricks in Commonare the cornerstone of Danish welfare buildings.Inside the pavilion, the visitor will have a sensory experience of brick, which awakens the visitor's memory of brick's many qualities and possibilities.

The pavilion is designed as three cross arches, each of a different size – but all with approximately the same CO2 footprint: Approx. 1 ton of CO2 eq. The smallest arch is built in a traditional, massive and resource-heavy brick, while the middle arch is an expression of the conversion with the use of the market's currently most climate-friendly, soft-laid brick.

The middle arch reduces CO2 emissions by 50% compared to the smallest arch, thus showing that this reduction can already be achieved today. The largest arch marks the ambition with a 75% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the smallest arch – the same reduction that construction should achieve by 2030. All arches are built with a proportion of recycled stone, with the proportion increasing from the smallest arch to the largest, which is built in approx. 70% recycled tiles."

Image © Schmidt Hammer Lassen, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

Feed Back by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects

Partners: Roskilde Festival, Blox Hub

Venue: BLOX, Bryghusgade 10

Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has created the two pavilions for this year's UIA World Congress - one housed at Jernbanebyen as part of "Living Places," the other just outside DAC at BLOXHUB. 

"Created one the two pavilions for this year's UIA World Congress - one housed at Jernbanebyen as part of "Living Places," the other just outside DAC at BLOXHUB, Feed Back emerges a reflection of the studio's working practice to share the prospects of food as a sustainable path towards healthy urbanism with aspirations to inspire new approaches to the way we design our cities. 

Educational and tactile, current research and case studies of global solutions invite personal reflections about our food experiences to create a dialogue with visitors, while a lazy Susan-inspired circular garden is home to edible flowers, herbs, and vegetables to explore and taste the unfamiliar."

From 4 - 1 Planet. Image © ReVærk, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

From 4 to 1 Planet: Natural Pavilion by ReVærk, 

Tegnestuen LOKAL, Leth & Gori, Rønnow Architects, BOGL

Partners: Smith Innovation

Venue: Søren Kierkegaards Plads

"From 4 to 1 Planet has presented three pavilions on Søren Kierkegaards Plads each show their take on the homes of the future with a low climate footprint. The first pavilion is designed by ReVærk, which aims to give visitors the experience of the housing concept's spaciousness and material qualities. The aim is to demonstrate that the basic materials; rammed clay soil, straw and round timber, which for many people is far from the idea of a modern home, can appear refined and of high sensory value.

The three pavilions showcase innovative building practices and material compositions on a 1:1 scale, and behind them are innovative architectural firms that, among other things, focus on biogenic materials and new housing concepts.

Housing construction from 4 to 1 planet has selected 3 winning proposals in the "Next Generation Architecture" competition, which in pavilion form showcase climate-friendly housing construction with resource consumption that respects the planet. The exhibition area and the three pavilions are based on innovative building solutions and showcase concepts and approaches to reduce the climate footprint of newly built homes by 75%. A green park of i.a. upcycled materials tie the area together, and form the framework for an exhibition on climate-friendly building materials and methods over time, as well as background information on the initiative "Housing from 4 to 1 planet". The landscape connecting the pavilions, which appears in the renderings above, was designed by BOGL."

From 4 - 1 Planet. Image © Tegnestuen Lokal, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

From 4 to 1 Planet: Quarter Pie Pavilion by Tegnestuen LOKAL

Partners: Aaen Engineering, Smith Innovation

Venue: Søren Kierkegaards Plads

"The second pavilion, designed by Tegenstuen LOKAL and Aaen Engineering, unfolds the main points of the associated housing concept: Manifesto For Planetary Affordable Housing. 

In the contrast between the light, demountable exeskeleton of the rain screen and the heavy core, an interesting third space thus emerges, which forms the architectural mainstay of the housing concept and the pavilion. By means of this division of the climate screen into its simplest elements – the rain screen and the supporting structure – the pavilion is built to complete 'design for disassembly', and shows how the home can be built at once compactly, architecturally attractive and with the greatest possible flexibility for the future interchangeable use."

Rønnow Architects, Leth & Gori and CINARK. Image © Kim Holtermand, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

From 4 to 1 Planet: Thatched Brick Pavilion by Leth & Gori, Rønnow Architects

Partners: CINARK, Smith Innovation

Venue: Søren Kierkegaards Plads

"The third pavilion, developed by architects Leth & Gori and Rønnow with CINARK, investigates a new construction technique based on the traditional and site-bound materials clay and roofing pipes. By combining insulating brick blocks ('poroton') with roofing pipes, a robust and breathable construction is created, which is both well-known and suitable for creating good, healthy homes.

The project stands on the shoulders of our historic building culture, craftsmanship and construction technical solutions, and reaches into a future where we must build long-lasting housing in order to achieve a far smaller CO2 footprint. Leth & Gori and Rønnow with CINARK have the project developed a pavilion which exemplifies the building system in 1:1 and gives an insight into the project's construction technique and spatial and material properties."

Image courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

The Greenhouse by Forma 

Partners: BaneGaarden, Re:Arc Institute

Venue: Banegaarden, Otto Busses Vej 45

"Væksthuset (Greenhouse) is a lighthouse project, highlighting the need and potential of green, educational and regenerative spaces in the hearts of our cities. The new event- and educational space is built around the transformation of the 100-year-old propagation greenhouses from the Copenhagen Botanical Gardens. The greenhouses were rescued on the brink of demolition and transported to the new location at Jernbanebyen.

The pavilion will include vital learning spaces for children and adults, inspiring and passing down climate focused knowledge of reduction, regenerative and resilient practices. The greenhouses will aspire to become a desired location for sustainability events and initiatives, helping people and organizations to learn and grow sustainably, together.

A space inviting entrepreneurs, visitors and the local community to reconnect with nature and learn the importance of nurturing ecosystems for current and future generations. A clubhouse space to congregate and explore regenerative futures for our cities in the face of the climate crisis."

Image © Adam Mørk, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

Living Places Copenhagen by EFFEKT

Partners: Velux, Artelia, Enemærke & Petersen, DSB

Venue: Otto Busses Vej 29A

"EFFEKT's Living Places Copenhagen explores a new way of thinking - one that is centred around building a better living environment that benefits both people and the planet. The seven prototypes – five open pavilions and two completed full-scale homes – show how we can develop more sustainable homes with a three times lower CO2 footprint and a first-class indoor climate. The Living Places concept holds the lowest CO2 emissions in Denmark, demonstrating that we do not have to wait for future technology to build more sustainably.

The vision of the overall concept - Living Places – which was initiated by EFFEKT, Artelia and the VELUX Group, is to lead the way within the building industry and show how rethinking buildings can help solve some of the global climate and health challenges. We envisioned an open-source development model that enables a new holistic approach to construction by factoring in the entire lifecycle. The concept is based on five key principles: homes should be healthy, affordable, simple, shared over time and scalable. These principles can be applied to new or existing buildings and communities."

Image © Sandra Gonon, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

Obel Award: Unpavilion by MAST

Partners: Das Boot – Naval Engineers, Khrons Bådebyggeri

Venue: Copenhagen Harbour – Lille Langebro

"The Obel Award's unPAVILION focuses on an inherent contradiction of the construction industry. The construction industry has helped improve billions of people’s lives worldwide, created marvels of human capability, and continues to break new ground in architectural and engineering excellence.

However, the construction of our built environment is also responsible for significant CO2 emissions – both as embodied emissions for the construction and as operational emissions for the running and upkeep of our built environment. In this context, greenwashing is counterproductive. Greenwashing comes in many forms, some even unintentional, but instead of pointing fingers at current practices and products, we must encourage ambitious, cross-disciplinary ideas that do not just provide a temporary or small-scale fix nor entail an unrealistic major shift in current practices."

The unPavilion is the story of a rescued concrete barge otherwise slated for demolition, for use during the UIA World Congress to highlight a dilemma that the construction industry must overcome. The barge will be later retrofitted to become a space of learning for architecture students."

Image © Sandra Gonon, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

Plastic Pavilion by Terroir

Partners: The Danish Plastics Federation

Venue: Gammel Strand

"Terroir designed the Plastic Pavilion that aims to explore new ways of using plastic without leaving detrimental impact in environment. Notwithstanding that there are no conditions under which new buildings can be sustainable – as recently asserted by the Danish Government Consumer Advocate  – we are at least trying to decarbonise as much as is possible.  But this remains a dodgy dark art of misinformation where CLT uses only 30% of the tree (the rest is chipped and burnt) and Carbon Lifecycle Assessments can be gamed via the methodology used.

The pavilion creates a territory in the square bia a series of 3D printed "feet", onto which a layer of exhibition panels are located. the feet and the panels choreograph not only the journey through the pavilion but also the relation between the pavilion and the square. In an effort to minimise materials, this choreography occurs almost invisibly, given the pavilion is so minimal that it "isn't there" when viewing from afar. While all materials in the pavilion are in some way recycled or upcycled, they still contain plastic, a product that we should be using multiple times rather than as a disposable."

Image © Sandra Gonon, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

Poetic Daylight by Royal Danish Academy and Claus Pryds Architects

Partners: AAU BUILD: Nanet Mathiasen & Anne Kathrine Frandsen, Holst Engineering Aps, Aaen Engineering, Event Brand Aps, FRYD! Aps

Venue: Gråbrødre Torv

"Poetic Daylight is one of the global goal pavilions along the harbor and other central locations in Copenhagen. The pavilion explores the atmosphere of buildings that are largely defined by daylight. The pavilion takes the visitors to the changeability of daylight - from morning to evening - and visitors are invited to experience how light, and darkness shape the spaces that surround us. 

Especially here in the Nordic region, where there are fewer hours of daylight, there is a need to appreciate its influence on our lives and buildings. By focusing on the specific Nordic daylight, robust and characterful spaces are created, where daylight can support the function of the spaces while at the same time contribute to a sustainable architecture."

Image © Rasmus Hetoft, UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

Reflections in Common by Municipality of Copenhagen, Urgent Agency

Partners: Municipality of Copenhagen, Urgent Agency, Standard Practice and Grønne Hjem

Venue: Kongens Nytorv

"Inside the pavilion, experience yourself, the city, and its nature from a new perspective. Take the time to stop. Take on a new perspective and take the reflection with you. Come back another day and experience how the atmosphere of the pavilion and the city change throughout the seasons. The mirror cabinet highlights the importance of reflection and self-reflection in the creation of a more sustainable city development.

When the year is over, all of the elements from the pavilion will be reused and the plants will be planted around Copenhagen. The partnership behind the pavilion represents all parts of the construction value chain – from manufacturers to consultants and artisans."

Image © Sandra Gonon, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

Tower of Wind by Atenastudio, Henning Frederiksen, Christian Fogh, Simone Aaberg Kærn

Partners: DMI (Danish Meteorological Institute), CLT Danmark, Standard System Engineering

Venue: Ofelia Plads

"The Tower of Wind was designed to have a strong symbolic value in the urban landscape. In its sleek, simple and beautiful appearance, the tower signals attention to our natural elements: wind, sun and water. Stepping into the space, one learns about these natural elements and the importance of technology in solving the climate problems of the future.

The tower consists of an octagonal room, slightly sloping towards the top and forming in its interior a space of about 4.5 metres in diameter. By tilting the 8-metre long panels, which are shaped in one piece, by about 3 degrees, a strong and alluring view is achieved towards the top, through which the sky is glimpsed and the instruments are placed visible from the outside."

Image © Anna Katrine Tan, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023

The Raft by Studio Coquille, Tan & Blixenkrone

Partners: Kvadrat, CLT Denmark, Dan-fender

Venue: Christians Brygge 37

"Studio Coquille and Tan & Blixenkrone create "an interactive and bright red roof", addressing the pressing and unprecedent needs to adapt and change, a reality that is shared all around the globe but with deep inequalities in how to face them.

Through The Raft, visitors are slowly encouraged to observe and feel the present environment, while ensuring to create an awareness about today's most pressing issues, such as rising sea levels bring to coastal cities and populations and the loss of underwater biodiversity, due to global warming.

For the roof, the desig team worked with Danish textile company Kvadrat to provide a highly durable fabric which makes up the roof. The roof has resistant properties, allowing for the material to be reused in furniture design in the pavilion’s afterlife. Moreover, the production company CLT Danmark (CLT stands for Cross Laminated Timber), brings an alternative to conventional materials like concrete, masonry or steel, with a material that has a low environmental impact and generates almost no waste onsite."

Top image in the article: Bricks in Common by AART, Mangor & Nagel – part of AART, NOAA. Image © Sandra Gonon, courtesy of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023.

pavilions SDG Pavilions UIA World Congress of Architects