Architecture Speaks -lecture series: Søren Pihlmann

Søren Pihlmann founded Pihlmann architects in 2021, previously he had a joint studio with Kim Lenschow. Pihlmann architects is a Copenhagen-based studio at the forefront of a new architectural paradigm grounded in the already existing. As the studio behind some of the most defining projects in recent Danish architecture, it has set a new standard for working with transformation, material reuse, and the latent potential of what’s at hand.

Pihlmann architects approaches architecture not as a quest for novelty, but as a practice of care, curiosity, and calibration. Their work is guided by what is already there – structurally, materially, and culturally – treating the built environment as a dynamic resource rather than a static backdrop. Whether turning concrete floor slabs into staircases, transforming acoustic panels into foldable walls, or repurposing crushed bricks into terrazzo, the studio consistently reimagines the value of what others overlook, working hyperlocally with a focus on curation rather than processing.

Rather than relying on predefined typologies or linear processes, the studio works through iterative research, on-site experimentation, and close collaborations with clients, researchers, manufacturers, and craftspeople. This enables new configurations of standard materials, new definitions of architectural worth, and new narratives of preservation that are generative rather than nostalgic.

With recent projects such as Thoravej 29, House14a, Kunsthal 44Møen, ÅBEN Brewery, the critically acclaimed Danish Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, and the ongoing Saari Residence in Mynämäki, Pihlmann architects continues to shape the field, not by building more, but by building otherwise.

“Danish architect Søren Pihlmann’s work is grounded in the already existing. He approaches architecture not as a quest for novelty, but as a practice of care, curiosity, and calibration. His work at the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale this year made a great impact. Pihlmann represents a sustainable mindset within the profession. What seem like a global abundance of building material is, in fact, a culture of wastefulness that leads to scarcity of resources.” – Jenni Reuter

Architecture Speaks

In the eleventh season of the Architecture Speaks lecture series, organized jointly by Aalto University and the Architecture & Design Museum, Professor and Head of department of Architecture Jenni Reuter invites six architects to share insights into their design processes and their roles in the world of architecture. The theme of this season is Structures and Resources.

The free online lecture will be held on Zoom, and registration is required. Read more.