Double honours for M4: Wins both the jury and the audience award
The facts:
About the Audience Award
- The Audience Award is determined solely by the votes cast on the City of Copenhagen's website.
- This year, 4,026 people voted - which is more than ever.
- Almost every fifth vote went to this year's winner.
- Spidsen af Nordø (Redmolen), AKB Bellahøj, Carlsberg Academy, Dansehallerne, Thoravej 29, Grønningen/Bispeparken and Carlsberg Byen were also nominated for the Audience Award.
Previous winners of the Audience Award:
2024: Karens Minde Aksen
2023: Bispebjerg's Healing Gardens
2022: Ny Østergade 30
2021: Nørrebro Library
2020: Hotel Ottelia
2019: Amaryllis House
2018: Axel Towers
About the Building Awards
- Since 1903, the City of Copenhagen has honoured architects and developers behind particularly remarkable architecture.
- The municipality recognises projects that enhance the city's physical environment and show how good architecture creates value for city life.
- The judging committee consists of members from the Culture and Leisure Committee, the Danish Architects' Association, IDA and the Technical and Environmental Administration.
This year, Metroselskabet receives two awards for the new metro extension to Sydhavn and Valby: the Public Award and the City of Copenhagen Building Award 2025.
Public tribute and official recognition
The Audience Award is a special popular tribute to the Metro's unique interplay between architecture and art - both above and below ground. The award is determined solely by the votes cast on the City of Copenhagen's website.
The award is an official recognition of the extensive work carried out over more than six years in close collaboration with architects, contractors, consultants and artists - from initial idea to finished Metro. The M4 extension opened in June last year and connects Sydhavn and Valby with the rest of the metro network.
Mayor of Culture and Leisure Mia Nyegaard said in connection with the award:
‘With the building awards, we want to honour the new buildings and renovation projects that contribute most to Copenhagen - both through aesthetics and functionality. The newest branch of the metro network succeeds in both. I'm a big fan of the Metro, which connects the city and makes it easier to get around. Personally, I've also long believed that the Metro and the Metro stations should be used for much more - for art, culture and maybe even parties or concerts. So I'm thrilled that the five new stations on the M4 South will provide space for art and help give the many passengers a cultural experience on the move. For this reason, I'm really pleased that the M4 South wins the Audience Award.’
Facts about the M4 extension
- Opened in June 2024 and consists of five new metro stations: Havneholmen, Enghave Brygge, Sluseholmen, Mozarts Plads and København Syd.
- The new stations had a passenger count of approximately three million in 2024, which is about twice as many as expected.
- Construction work began in 2018 and took almost six years.
- The total construction cost was DKK 8.6 billion and the original construction budget was DKK 10.4 billion including reserves.
- The metro extension is 5.7 kilometres long (from Copenhagen Central Station to København Syd).
- The total metro network consists of 44 stations and 43 kilometres of track.
Developer:
Metroselskabet
Project team: Arkitema, COWI, SYSTRA, Gottlieb Paludan Architects, SLA Landscape Architects, Juul & Frost Architects, Kragh & Berglund Landscape Architects and 1:1 Landscape Architects
Artists and stations:
Havneholmen: SUPERFLEX
Enghave Brygge: Pernille With Madsen
Sluseholmen: René Schmidt
Mozarts Plads: Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen
København Syd: Henrik Plenge Jakobsen
The artworks have been realised with support from Det Obelske Familiefond, Villum Fonden and Statens Kunstfond.
Contractors and advisors on the project:
TUNN3L JV: Construction of the five new metro stations and tunnels.
Rhomberg EFACEC JV: Construction of tracks and power supply.
Hitachi: Supply of control system, cabling in tunnels and trains.
Metro Service: Operation and maintenance as subcontractor to Hitachi.
COWI and Systra: Metroselskabet's advisors on the project.
Aarsleff Rail: Construction of the joint transfer area between Metro, S-trains and long-distance and regional trains at København Syd.
Twice as many passengers
The Metroselskabet is delighted with the two awards as they mark a significant highlight for a project that has required both visionary collaboration and dedicated effort over several years. At the same time, the new stations have been so well received that the number of passengers is already twice as high as expected.
‘We are both happy and proud to receive both the Audience Award and the Municipality of Copenhagen's Building Award for the M4 to Sydhavn and Valby. It's a great recognition of the hard work we have jointly put into the project for more than six years. The many passengers also show that the metro extension is not only an architectural and technical boost, but also a solution that works in the everyday lives of Copenhageners,’ says Mikkel Kjær Jensen, CEO of Metroselskabet.
‘We are especially pleased that the award recognises the unique interaction we have created between architecture, technology and art. This is the first time we have integrated art from the beginning of the process, and the result is some very special stations that enrich both the city and the passengers‘ travelling experience,’ adds Mikkel Kjær Jensen.
Architecture, art and urban space in interaction
The five new stations - Havneholmen, Enghave Brygge, Sluseholmen, Mozarts Plads and København Syd - are designed based on Metroselskabet's simple and proven architectural principles, where safety, accessibility and intuitive travel experience are at the centre. At the same time, each station contains an integrated artwork that creates a special identity and supports the station's role as part of the local urban space. The artworks have been realised with support from the Obel Family Foundation, the Villum Foundation and the Danish Arts Foundation.
The above-ground station squares are also a key element of the project. Created in close collaboration with the City of Copenhagen and local stakeholders, they function as active urban spaces for people to stay, play, local events and safe, efficient transit.