Project: Lisbjerg Recycling Station – recycling, reuse and dissemination

Prize : Aarhus Municipality Architecture Award 2022

Client/orderer: Circuit

Architect: Aarsleff A/S and LOOP Architects (sub-consultant)

Engineer:  Soil & Building A/S

Status: Built 2022

Area: 12,500 m² (plus 75,000 m2 recreational area)

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It has been important to ensure a strong connection between the recreational area and the recycling station. The circular structure fits naturally between the curved landscape shape of the slag depot and the planting to the southwest. The facility appears externally with a geometrically clear and beautiful concrete wall, replacing the traditional wire fence. The facility thus takes on a more sculptural character. The circular geometry also provides short distances, a good overview, and creates a clear center.

The recycling station's layout ensures a safe and logical user experience without compromising efficient and safe operation. As something very central, customer traffic is completely separated from operational traffic - a situation that creates a safer environment for both customers and staff. The separation is made possible by the site's level division, as well as via the option of partially blocking off the lower level during operation and waste collection.

The recycling station is also designed with great flexibility in its layout, which is crucial for ongoing, future adaptation. The container pit is therefore divided into a modular system, and pits are divided with movable walls. The recycling station takes advantage of the proximity to the Waste Center in both operation and dissemination. Waste collection is done from an internal road, and can, among other things, be done efficiently with the Waste Center's dumpsters. In daily operation, this means that the staff at the site have more time to service and instruct customers.

The dissemination center, which is located at the Waste Center, has been retained here and is now connected by a path system to the recycling station and the slag mountain, from which the entire facility can be viewed. Soil & Building has also been responsible for a dissemination project into the landscape - see more here .

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The recycling station is built from recycled materials, thereby demonstrating that what we traditionally perceive as waste can actually be a resource.  The space and the building are designed to appear as one unified structure in terms of expression, materials and detailing. The “base” of the space is made of cast-in-place concrete, supplemented by a cladding of recycled wood with an informal expression and fine details. Together with the green center, this gives the recycling station’s central space a special atmosphere.