Klintegaarden

Klintegaarden is a listed residential complex in Aarhus, Denmark, built in 1938 and considered an outstanding example of the city's early Functionalist architecture. The complex sits on a slope south of Riis Skov, the city forest, in the Skovvejskvarteret neighborhood. It consists of two six-story apartment buildings, one facing the street Skovvejen and the other facing Aarhus Bay. Between the two blocks stand two older villas, dating from 1896 and 1900, which were remodeled when the complex was built and integrated into a courtyard garden. With this project, architect Hans Ove Christensen created one of the most modern residential buildings of its day, which towered over the surrounding development with its plain white facade.

The architecture of the concrete buildings is defined by a clear design vocabulary that unites material and function. The windows sit flush with the facade and are arranged in vertical rows interrupted by balconies. On the side facing the bay, these balconies are round, while those facing the courtyard are rectangular. Slender concrete supports lend the massive buildings a light appearance. Especially striking are the maritime elements on the waterfront side, which underscore the connection to the harbor. The rooftop recalls the deck of an ocean liner, with the shared roof terrace flanked by a narrow railing and round windows. The narrow corridors inside, with their round windows, also evoke the feeling of a ship's passageway.

Klintegaarden was originally conceived as an experimental communal project meant to give residents a collective way of life in a clean and safe environment. The converted villas served as shared spaces, with a dining hall, billiard rooms, game rooms, and a small restaurant that also offered delivery service. The apartments were modern for their time, equipped with central heating, running hot and cold water, refrigerators, and garbage chutes. The basement housed laundry rooms and an underground garage to relieve pressure on the streets. These shared costs were covered through the rent. Today, however, the complex has been converted into condominiums, and the shared public facilities are gone. The villas now serve as private residences, which has changed the project's original socialist character.