A family office makes a big statement with stunning new HQ

Kirk Kapital, a family office that manages the assets of Lego heiress Gunhild Kirk Johansen and her family, has moved into an architecturally and culturally significant new headquarters, making a statement of its openness and optimism towards the future.

Fjordenhus, in the Danish city of Vejle, was designed by one of the world’s most acclaimed artists, Olafur Eliasson. The building, which comprises four intersecting cylinders and rises to a height of over 90 feet, is built in Vejle’s harbour with a bridge linking it to the mainland. It has an almost science fiction-like appearance. Kirk Kapital’s new headquarters would appear to very much be designed to make a statement.

Fjordenhus is the first building designed by Eliasson, who’s best known for his large-scale installations in public spaces like the New York City Waterfalls and the Weather Project in Tate Modern in London.

The entire ground floor is open to the public, where some of Eliasson’s artwork will be on show. Commenting on the building earlier this year, Kirk Kapital’s CEO, Kim Gulstad, said: “We hope (Fjordenhus) will help make Vejle’s harbour environment even more exciting and attractive as a destination for both residents in Vejle, as well as art and architecture-interested tourists from around the world.”  Kirk Kapital will occupy the floors above the public-accessible ground floor.

Given its architecturally significance and ground floor art gallery, Fjordenhus will help to put Vejle on the cultural tourist map perhaps not too dissimilar to what the Guggenheim Museum did for the Spanish town of Bilbao.  

Kirk Kapital was set up in 2007 by Gunhild Kirk Johansen, who is the sister of Lego’s main owner, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, who has his own family office, Kirkbi. Kirk Kapital manages around $1.2 billion and ownership is split between Gunhild and her three children, Casper, Morten and Anders.