CPH GO SPECIAL REPORT: Furnishing the facility

The new facility requires furniture that fits the building’s low-cost identity and it was therefore necessary to buy new furnishings that differ from that of the main terminal buildings. Andreas Akerman spoke to Philip Bertel, director of Zenzo Group, the Danish distributor of fixtures for public spaces that provided both benches and litter bins for CPH Go.

Although it was a deliberate strategy by the architect not to have too many seating areas at CPH Go, thereby making passengers spend less time out in the pier, there are two benches at each gate as well as one behind the passport control booths in the area for non-Schengen flights and a larger seating space outside the gates for intra-Schengen flights. Altogether, that makes 14 benches specially made for CPH Go.

The benches were not available in the ordinary product range, but were made by the Belgian manufacturer Urbastyle to the specifications and requirements set for CPH Go. Bertel points out how both the dark, polished concrete and the simplicity of the design work well with the rest of the building. A benefit with the material is also that it does not absorb spilled liquids, but it retains its original finish.

However, the project brought challenges as well. “The manufacturing process is time consuming, since the concrete must be completely dry before the polishing,” Bertel said.

Getting the benches in place was also a complex procedure. The regular size benches weigh 2.2 tonnes each and the larger version weighs in at 3.9 tonnes. Although the building’s epoxy floor is hard and durable, extreme care still had to be taken not to cause any damage to it by placing down the heavy benches in an uncoordinated manner. The benches were therefore put in place with a vacuum lifter, which lowered them to the floor holding them up with suction cups. Five men were required for the job and three whole trucks had to be scanned to enter the airside area; one carrying the benches, one with the forklift and one with the crane.

While Zenzo’s involvement at first concerned only benches, the topic of litter bins was brought up in the company’s first talks with the airport in June 2010. Copenhagen Airport wishes to sort its waste in three categories: paper, plastic and non-recyclable waste, which fits the specifications of the Finnish manufacturer FinBin’s product Bermuda Triple that already was offered in Zenzo’s range.

“They are easy to empty and clean, without compromising design,” Bertel said. The bin is also shaped so that it self-extinguishes fire, cutting off the oxygen supply merely by its design.

In order to comply with local requirements on occupational health and safety, a number of modifications did, however, have to be made. Although this customisation to Copenhagen Airports’ needs required many meetings and alterations, the hope is that the airport company will buy the same bins for the whole airport.