The harbour front in Middelfart is home to three of the town's more recent architectural buildings, which are definitely worth a visit.
KulturØen, is a multi-purpose building built in 2005, containing a number of the town's cultural facilities all under one roof, including a large library, a cinema, a panoramic restaurant, a coffee shop, a tourist information office, and it is also the town's cultural centre. KulturØen was created as an architectural sculpture rising up from its surroundings, inspired by the sea and the bridges over the Little Belt on either side of the island. The distinctive sculptural element adds a dynamic quality to the peninsula, which stretches out of Middelfart's harbour. The building was designed by the renowned architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen, primarily architect John Lassen and head of design Lars Vejen. It is built on an artificial island and is covered with prepatinated zinc.
In 2016, KulturØen converted the ground floor (Architect: Rosan Bosch) to open up the library. In 2018, the plan is to improve the area in front of KulturØen.
In 2010, the bank ‘Middelfart Sparekasse’ built their new headquarters in Middelfart and the building was designed by 3xN. Sparekassen wanted their new head office to be a natural local hub, and an architectural landmark for the town as well as the bank.
The building has a distinctive roof surface, with 83 dormers that spectacularly emphasize the building’s geometry. The roof is specially designed to frame the view of the Little Belt as well as provide shade against direct sunlight. This demonstrates the perfect synergy between design and function.
Underneath the roof, the main square on the ground floor houses an ironmonger and sports store, an estate agent and the bank's cashiers. All plateaus have plenty of sunlight and unobstructed views of the water and the Little Belt Bridge
The working environment has been improved through sustainable solutions in relation to natural ventilation and the latest technologies for energy-efficient temperature regulation. The thermoactive concrete elements enable a 30 percent heat saving, and a saving on cooling and mechanical ventilation of up to 85 percent. This makes total energy savings of between 30 and 50 percent.
Nytorv (Town Hall). On 1 September 2017, Middelfart's new town centre and town hall was inaugurated. The building was designed by Henning Larsen Architects based on the idea that the building should be transparent and welcoming to citizens. The new town centre consists of 40 homes, 3,000 m2 of retail space and an 8000 m2 new town hall with enough space for 440 employees.
