A small Danish town is set to be the home of a 320-metre skyscraper, the tallest in Western Europe. While planning is still in its infancy, the local council has approved the building for what is to become the headquarters of the fashion giant Bestseller in the town of Brande, home to just over 7,000 people.
Bestseller’s multi-billionaire founder, Troels Holch Povlsen, set up his empire in Brande, Jutland in 1975. The intention is to mould the area into a larger town of sorts fitted with shops and schools but with the skyscraper as a figurehead. The latter has been jokingly compared to the tower occupied by the dark lord Sauron in Lord of the Rings.
The company says it has 2,700 branded stores worldwide, its products are sold in 15,000 department stores and it employs more than 15,000 people.
London's The Shard is currently the tallest in Western Europe at 309 metres.
Bestseller’s plans were given council support on March 11 but widespread coverage of the huge building only gathered on April 1.
There is still a long way to go but the intention is for the tower to reach 320 meters, a spokesman for Bestseller confirmed. A start and end date for construction is yet to be announced.
“The city council’s approval is obviously essential, but we still have a lot of homework to do and much to consider before a project like this can be brought to life. We still have years ahead of us before a potential start date,” commented Anders Krogh, Bestseller’s project manager, on March 11.
He said the company wanted it to be a sustainable landmark that “places Brande on the map”.
“The plan is born out of a passion and interest for architecture and a vision of creating a unique building that matches the unique setup of a rethought headquarters,” said Mr Krogh.
When Bestseller first announced their plans in 2017 they laid out a vision where shopping, education and public activities integrated into a “rethought” setup.
“We would like to open our doors by rethinking the way our company interacts with the local community,” Mr Krogh said in 2017.
The project was mocked by satirical Danish website Rokoposten, who compared it to the tower occupied by the dark lord Sauron in Lord of the Rings. The site said Sauron had bought up the top seven floors.
"I have offered to finance a major interactive art installation in the form of a blazing eye at the very top of the building, which I believe will serve as an artistic lighthouse for the whole of Central Jutland,” Sauron was jokingly quoted as saying.
