PRESS RELEASE
13-09-2013
Co-creation takes designing with daylight to a new era
The VELUX Group and Foster + Partners have joined forces in a close innovative
cooperation with the ambition to revolutionise the commercial skylight market –
the result is VELUX Modular Skylights. The journey starts on 13 September in London.
On 13 September, the VELUX Group, which owns the strongest brand in the building industry, and world-leading architectural firm Foster + Partners celebrates the creation of VELUX
Modular Skylights. Together, they kick off a new era of designing with daylight at an evening event at the spectacular Foster + Partners London landmark, The Gherkin.
The two companies share a passion for daylight and how it can enrich our lives and make
our buildings better and more comfortable to be in. So the vision of the co-creation project
was to design a sustainable solution that could bring daylight into commercial buildings,
such as schools, hospitals and shopping malls, simply and easily. It is the first time for both
companies that they have engaged in this kind of close working partnership.
“We feel that we have found the perfect match in Foster + Partners because daylight is essential to both our businesses. They also complement our technical knowledge with their
experience in design and architecture. So this partnership responds to a need in the market
with a solution we haven’t been able to create on our own,” says Jørgen Tang-Jensen, CEO
of the VELUX Group.
VELUX Modular Skylights combines the VELUX Group’s extensive knowledge of bringing daylight and fresh air into residential buildings through the roof with Foster + Partners’ in-depth
knowledge of building design and architectural needs and challenges. The result is a new
way to think of commercial skylights because the modules incorporate high-energy performance, slim and elegant design and a unique modularity that break with the traditional custom-made skylight solutions of today.
“The benefit of collaboration between an organisation like ourselves and the VELUX Group is
enormous. The problems we are all facing in the world cannot be solved by any one individual – or, more increasingly, even one discipline like architecture. So by combining
knowledge and components in the way we have with VELUX, that is a very good thing for
design in the future − because we are able to achieve a lot more for a lot less,” says David
Nelson, Senior Partner and Head of Design at Foster + Partners.
VELUX Modular Skylights is being launched in Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Belgium, Holland
and Germany in 2012, followed by France in 2013.
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About the VELUX Group
The VELUX Group creates better living environments with daylight and fresh air through the
roof. The VELUX product programme contains a wide range of roof windows and skylights,
along with solutions for flat roofs. The Group also supplies many types of decoration and
sun screening, roller shutters, installation products, products for remote control and thermal
solar collectors for installation in roofs. The VELUX Group, which has manufacturing companies in 11 countries and sales companies in just under 40 countries, represents one of the
strongest brands in the global building materials sector and its products are sold in most
parts of the world. The VELUX Group has about 10,000 employees and is owned by VKR
Holding A/S, a limited company wholly owned by foundations and family. For more details,
visit www.velux.com.
About Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners, one of the most innovative architectural practices in the world today, led
by Founder and Chairman Norman Foster, is based in London with project offices worldwide.
Over the past four decades the practice has pioneered a sustainable approach to architecture and ecology through a strikingly wide range of work, from urban masterplans, public
infrastructure, airports, civic and cultural buildings, offices and workplaces to private houses
and product design. The studio has established an international reputation with buildings
such as the world’s largest airport terminal at Beijing, Swiss Re’s London Headquarters,
Hearst Headquarters in New York, Millau Viaduct in France, the German Parliament in the
Reichstag, Berlin, The Great Court at London’s British Museum, Headquarters’ for HSBC in
Hong Kong and London, and Commerzbank Headquarters in Frankfurt. There is also a
strong interest in city planning and infrastructure. The practice has received over 600
awards for excellence and won over 100 national and international competitions since its
inception in 1967.
Contact
Ghita Borring
Head of Media Relations
The VELUX Group
Telephone: +45 45 16 40 00
Direct: +45 45 1648 08
Mobile: +45 51 14 08 87
E-mail: ghita.borring@VELUX.com