Design of the control room at Energinet.dk's new headquarters in Erritsø

Energy & Industry

Energinet.dk, Control Room
Erritsø, Fredericia, Denmark

In 2007, Energinet.dk, the Danish distributor of electricity and natural gas, built a new head office at Erritsø near Fredericia, and asked Gottlieb Paludan Architects to design the control room.

Located on the top floor at the end of the building’s enormous atrium, the control room holds a visible and distinctive position, and yet it is removed from the hustle and bustle of the head office’s daily activities.

In the control room the Danish electricity grid is monitored and regulated around the clock, year-round. The room also has a system for controlling the natural-gas network, just in case Energinet.dk’s other control room, located elsewhere, should fail. Likewise, the other facility has a system for managing the electricity grid in the event of a breakdown at Erritsø. This dual coverage helps ensure security of supply for Danish consumers, which is one of Energinet.dk’s most important responsibilities.

Client
Energinet.dk
Status
Completed
Size
250 m2
Year
2008
Collaborators
HVIDT & MØLGAARD
Areas of Expertise
Photos
Gottlieb Paludan Architects
The control room gives a comprehensive overview of the grid situation on the expansive screen array. Dimensioned at 12.6 x 2.1 m, the screens are easily visible from the operator consoles and from anywhere in the room’s central area. Shelves behind the consoles have ample room for the documentation necessary for emergency control procedures, as do the two documentation tables positioned near the centre of the room. Kitchen and rest facilities take up one end of the control room, while a variety of planning functions occupy the space at the other end.
The fundamental aim motivating each and every design decision has been to make Energinet.dk’s control room a place that conveys exactly what it is all about – control!

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The control room is the central nerve of technical facilities – the place from which everything from energy production and distribution to traffic and complex industrial processes is monitored and managed. A well-designed control room provides clarity, supports quick decision-making, and contributes to safe and stable operations – even under pressure.

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Jesper Ravn

Lighting Designer, Associate IALDArchitect