At 306 metres, the Shard in London is currently the tallest building in Western Europe. However, Danish fashion brand BESTSELLER wants to change that. Initial plans have recently been approved for the construction of a skyscraper of no less than 320 metres. Remarkably, the tallest skyscraper will not be built in Copenhagen or any other European major city, but in the small provincial village of Brande. The village of Brande is located in Denmark's Central Jutland region and has a population of barely seven thousand.
Danish fashion company BESTSELLER was founded in 1975 by Troels Holch Povlsen in the village of Brande. The fashion company has 7,000 shops worldwide and its portfolio includes the popular brands Vero Moda and Jack&Jones. The fashion company with a turnover of €3.3 billion (2017) is still a family business and based in the same village to this day. The founder's son and current director Anders Holch Povlsen can now call himself Denmark's richest man.
© Architectural firm Dorte Mandrup
The tower was designed by multiple award-winning architecture firm Dorte Mandrup. The climate-neutral skyscraper will be part of a large-scale complex with various communal facilities for the nearby area. There is also space for a shopping area, a hotel and some educational institutions, of course. All buildings will also have green roofs and largely free access. In this way, the clothing company wishes to give something back to the small community of Brande.
As there are no other high-rise buildings in the area, the tower will have a major impact on the surroundings. The tower will be visible from some 60 kilometres away. Nevertheless, the ambitious plans were approved by Brande's municipality last month. In fact, the municipality and local residents are very positive about the development.
© Architectural firm Dorte Mandrup
The BESTSELLER skyscraper will not only become the tallest building in Denmark, but also in the whole of Western Europe. Should the plan go ahead, the new skyscraper will put Brande on the map for good. Or is it a belated 1 April joke after all?