Mændenes Hjem (Home for The Men)
– Radical Horizontality
Interior design and restructuring of café, common rooms, TV-room, canteen and reception at a shelter for the homeless in Central Copenhagen
With FOS, designer Charlott Karlsson, architect Helle Gade Jensen and Interior designers Loop.
2002-2009

The Home of the Men is a shelter for homeless near the central station in Copenhagen. It is a place for men who are both homeless and has a mental and/or addiction problem. The main part is drug addicts.

Our purpose was to make the interior design so that a more fruitful, less insecure and less hierarchical dialogue can take place. Before they had a very unworthy interior as well as a conflict creating reception and entrance area. Most of the violent incidents happen in the reception!

The aim was to play down the "patient-doctor" relationship and more let the individuals subjectivities step out. So that the dialogue is based on equality, common goals and interests rather than "the institution that wants to change me".

Through a 9-month period we researched for a better understanding of the institution, the staff, the users, the subject of homelessness and drug addiction. We also looked at other institutions and their architectural solutions and values. From the research we developed a set of values to lead the design process. The working method unfolds the values in a translation into physical forms and materials.

The following have been implemented:

- New entrance and refurbished old entrance (now back door)
- Floor cover – a combination of wood and grey-black linol
- Bathroom with colored tiles and a chandelier
- New sleeping, counselling and observation room
- New windows with opal film with artists images
- Caravan meeting room
- Oak tables and (low) bar desk
- Tiled wall in dining room with big common table
- Sculptural room divider for TV room
- Wood carved box with draft beer tap with water
- Furniture, acoustic ceiling, lighting, face mirror, etc.

Half-roof over the new entrance and easy seating for the TV room are in production.