CPH Airport, The Connecting Finger

Forbindelsesfingeren, which in Danish means the “connecting finger”, is the link between the domestic and international terminals at Kastrup, Copenhagen Airport. The purpose of the connection is to ensure an improvement of logistics and improve the experience for airport visitors. The building is meant to be unique as well as a natural part of the airport’s complex context. On this foundation, Forbindelsesfingeren, with its 300-meter length, 13-meter height, and 450 meters of moving walkway, appears as an architectural maneuver, which exploits its scale in a sophisticated manner, as to create a special symbiotic effect between functional and artistic elements.

Forbindelsesfingeren’s special forte is visible in its cross-section. Two shells meet, giving rise to curved steel constructions. Six meters apart, these curved steel frames are based on two longitudinal strip foundations, stretching across the entire length of Forbindelsesfingeren. From the landside, Forbindelsesfingeren draws associations to a more traditional airport architecture as the curved shape stretches in a soft, aerodynamic design, where the surface of the aluminum sheets with visible rivets create a raw but light expression with clear reference to airplane design.

The project has as functional relation to its surrounding environment via the function as a noise guard between landside and airside. The architectural experience is nuanced by the building’s windows, where the concept of separating landside and airside is articulated. Towards the airside area, small windows line up like pearls on a string, casting an elegant shadow on the white surfaces of the walls. Towards north, the building opens up with tall windows, creating visual contact to the landside area and allowing the entrance of daylight from a powder blue sky.