Buildings are deeply interconnected with their surroundings—the climate, culture, landscape, and the lives of their occupants. For Dorte Mandrup, a renowned Danish architect, context is more than a mere consideration; it is the driving force behind her designs. Her work demonstrates a profound curiosity about the people who will inhabit her buildings and the unique stories embedded within each site. Her buildings aren't just structures; they're thoughtful responses to their surroundings, without aiming to disappear within them.
Dorte Mandrup is featured, alongside Tosin Oshinowo, in the second installment of the documentary Women in Architecture, released November 12, 2024. Produced by Sky-Frame in collaboration with ArchDaily and directed by Boris Noir, the film builds upon the first episode, which highlighted Toshiko Mori, Gabriela Carrillo, and Johanna Meyer-Grohbrügge, offering a continued exploration of diverse perspectives within architecture.
With a diverse background not initially focused on architecture, Dote Mandrup engaged in studies of sculpture, ceramics, and even medicine. Once turning towards architecture, she graduated from the Aarhus School of Architecture, Denmark in 1991. Dorte Mandrup gained experience working for Henning Larsen Architects before co-founding Fuglsang & Mandrup-Poulsen in 1995. This partnership dissolved in 1999, leading to the establishment of her own practice, Dorte Mandrup A/S, based in Copenhagen, where she continues to act as Creative Director.
The background in diverse disciplines shows up in the sculptural and spatial qualities of her buildings, as well as in the sensitive integration in context. Her career has been marked by a steady progression, highlighted by the creation of significant public and private buildings, including the National Maritime Museum of Denmark and the Silkeborg Bad. Recently she has completed the Illorsua Ilulissat Icefjord Center, embedded in Greenland's Arctic landscape, and the Wadden Sea Centre, employing an array of materialities and textures. The office has also won an international competition for the design of a new Intuit Heritage Center in the Nunavut of northern Canada.
Her recognition extends to international acclaim, including participation in the 2018 La Biennale di Venezia. She has also held key positions such as chairing the prestigious 2019 Mies van der Rohe Award jury and serving as a member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art's board. Furthermore, Mandrup's commitment to education is evident through adjunct professorships at institutions like Cornell University and the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio.
Forging Networks, Challenging Norms
Dorte Mandrup's career reflects the challenges faced by women in architecture. Early in her career, she observed a distinct lack of mentorship and support networks for women, describing a landscape where women often felt isolated, needing to "play alone" to avoid being overshadowed in male-dominated groups. This contrasted with the established informal networks and collaborative environments frequently enjoyed by their male counterparts. While acknowledging progress, she notes that even in Scandinavia, where women's workforce participation is high, relatively few women lead their own firms or hold positions of power within the industry. Mandrup's experience as a single mother further complicates the challenges faced within her profession.
Despite these persistent challenges, Dorte Mandrup's career also highlights a growing shift within the architectural field. The rising awareness of gender inequality has created space for meaningful change. A new generation of architects is actively building more inclusive collaborative networks, directly challenging established power structures, and advocating for more equal access. While significant obstacles remain, the increasing willingness to confront systemic biases and foster supportive communities signals a promising future where all architects can thrive, contributing their diverse talents and perspectives to shape the built environment. The focus steadily shifts towards recognizing individual merit and skill, rather than celebrating achievements based on gender. The ultimate goal is a profession where accolades are earned solely on the quality of the work, not the gender of the architect.
Engaging with Unique Contexts
Among the unique characteristics of Dorte Mandrup's architectural practice is the careful engagement with the unique context of each project. Mandrup's design philosophy prioritizes a respectful dialogue with the existing context, yet she isn't afraid to introduce elements that actively contribute to, contrast with, or even subtly challenge the pre-existing conditions. This isn't about imposing a jarring disruption, but rather about creating a nuanced interaction—a conversation—between the new architecture and its surroundings.
In order to achieve this balance, the process employed by her practice involves an extensive initial research and analysis phase that informs all later decisions. This phase goes beyond a simple assessment of the physical environment, considering the broader political, social, and historical forces that have shaped the site. Ecological considerations, indigenous cultural practices, and the landscape's geological history are also carefully examined. This comprehensive approach avoids uninformed interventions, instead allowing the unique context to inspire and inform the design, leading to site-specific solutions. While this rigorous process may present challenges during client collaborations, it is considered essential. It prevents premature attachment to stylistic choices before a complete understanding of the site's complexities is achieved. Mandrup finds that once this initial phase is complete, the design process tends to move forward efficiently and intuitively. The resulting buildings engage unapologetically with their context, understanding and working with their surroundings rather than attempting to disappear into them.
Design Process
In addition to the careful consideration of context, Dorte Mandrup's design process is aided by a diverse range of inspirations, what she calls a "library of experienced references" that gives freedom to design ideas. In need of constant expansion, this library can be built by immersing oneself in existing architecture, identifying spaces that resonate deeply, as well as exploring other artistic fields, such as the atmospheric renditions of movies or the formal experimentation of sculpture. A strong understanding of architectural history is also crucial, providing context and allowing for informed reinterpretations or challenges to established conventions. However, she cautions against the superficial use of imagery, stressing the necessity of experiencing the source material fully to understand its context and meaning.
Several key design motifs consistently appear in Mandrup's work. First, she emphasizes spatial sequences, creating a sense of movement and exploration through the considered arrangement of viewpoints within a building. Second, her designs frequently explore three-dimensional form, moving beyond primary shapes to create visually complex and engaging structures, a sculptural approach that has become an integral part of her style.
Thirdly, a deep understanding of materiality, texture, and tectonics is central to her design philosophy. The chosen materials are not mere aesthetic choices but integral components influencing the building's structure and expression. Finally, a strong emphasis on integrating public space permeates her work, even within limited budgets. This manifests in thoughtful insertions of spaces that invite interaction and community engagement, enhancing the overall experience and emphasizing the social dimension of architecture
This aspect of public social space introduced and emphasized in every design also leads to a prioritization of project elements. In difficult conditions like budgetary constraints, Working with clients' resources necessitates strategic decision-making, sometimes sacrificing less crucial design elements to achieve a meaningful public space that gives back to the community. This approach is evident from her early projects, such as the Neighborhood Centre of Jemtelandsgade.
Later projects, such as the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre and The Wadden Sea Centre, also highlight this attention to creating opportunities to observe the surrounding landscape and to invite people to explore and own the space. These designs offer flexible and inviting areas for diverse uses, avoiding prescriptive designs that dictate specific activities. Instead, they prioritize a sense of ownership, encouraging users to engage with the space in their own way.
Future Challenges and a Call to Action
This meticulous attention to context extends to a broader awareness of global challenges. Mandrup highlights the urgent need for a responsible and scientific approach to reducing the carbon footprint of architecture, urging the profession to find innovative ways to address climate change without simply discarding existing structures. She also acknowledges the inherent tension between architectural practice and consumerism, recognizing the industry's role in this cycle.
Climate change, she argues, necessitates addressing interconnected social issues and underscores the importance of open collaboration and knowledge sharing within the field. She encourages young architects to avoid creating isolated, self-sufficient solutions and instead engage in open dialogue, pragmatic collaboration, and continuous self-reflection, emphasizing the critical need to collectively address global challenges through collaborative action and shared knowledge.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Women in Architecture presented by Sky-Frame.
Sky-Frame is characterized by its empathic ability to take on different perspectives and points of view. We are interested in people and their visions, whether in architecture or in a social context. We deeply care about creating living spaces and in doing so we also question the role of women in architecture. From the arts to the sciences, women shape our society. We want to shed more light on this role, increase the visibility of Women in Architecture and empower/encourage them to realize their full potential.
Initiated by Sky-Frame, the "Women in Architecture" documentary is an impulse for inspiration, discussion, and reflection. Watch the film here.
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