Henning Larsen and Ramboll join forces

Henning Larsen will continue under its current name. In the new organisation, Henning Larsen will steer the shared ambition of creating integrated design solutions for sustainable cities and buildings based on the joint companies' global platform and Nordic values.

“Architecture today is not just about designing and building. It is about solving concrete challenges for people. We call this the extended concept of architecture, where we combine our design with research and knowledge. This is how we have been working for the last ten years, but in the new constellation with Ramboll we will have access to the world's leading experts, technology and digitalisation, which will develop our architecture and projects in completely new ways in the future,” says Louis Becker, Partner and Design Principal at Henning Larsen.

With their Nordic legacies, both Henning Larsen and Ramboll embrace a strong focus on quality, knowledge and social responsibility. For Mette Kynne Frandsen, CEO and Partner in Henning Larsen, the collaboration with Ramboll offers great opportunities.

“We have just delivered our best financial results in company history, driven by global expansion and projects on six continents. Together with Ramboll, we will have the capacity to take the next step in our internationalisation and strengthen our ability to create sustainable visionary buildings that offer concrete solutions to some of the most demanding challenges facing cities and communities around the globe,” says Mette Kynne Frandsen.

The fact that Henning Larsen now becomes part of Ramboll is a significant strategic step for Ramboll. Over the coming year, the ambition is to establish a global architecture business unit with approx. 800 architects and landscape architects and Mette Kynne Frandsen as Managing Director. According to Group CEO in Ramboll Jens-Peter Saul, this means that Ramboll will have the opportunity to move even closer to its clients.

“With Henning Larsen, we unite architecture, engineering, integrated design and strong digital solutions to make a positive impact on sustainability globally. For Ramboll, the acquisition also means that we can strengthen our dialogue with clients in the early stages of the projects, where the focus is on concepts and idea development, and thus contribute to a sustainable design from the outset. Together, we gain a unique position in the competition for the most exciting and demanding projects and we increase the internationalisation of our joint business based on a strong Scandinavian outset,” says Jens-Peter Saul.

The acquisition is effective from 2 January 2020.

Henning Larsen can celebrate its 60th anniversary this year. The company is one of Denmark's leading architectural firms and has realized projects all over the world. The company was founded by architect Henning Larsen and is globally recognized for its aesthetic, sustainable and social architecture. Today, approximately 300 employees are employed across six offices. Henning Larsen's many iconic projects include everything from individual buildings to plans for entire urban areas. Recent project highlights are the expansion of the Bastille Opera in Paris, the development of the 117-acre Shenzhen state-of-the-art district of China, the Eastern High Court in Copenhagen, a new downtown Wolfsburg city centre and the Mission Rock residential area in San Francisco. In 2019, Henning Larsen had the best financial performance in company history. 78% of the revenue is located on projects outside of Denmark.

Ramboll is a leading international engineering and consulting company founded in Denmark in 1945. Today, Ramboll employs over 16,000 employees, of whom approx. 500 are architects or landscape architects. The company has a global presence and strong representation in the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, North America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Ramboll works in the following areas: Buildings, Transport, Environment & Health, Water, Energy and Management Consulting.

The Ramboll Foundation is the primary owner of the Ramboll Group A/S. The main purpose of the Foundation is to ensure the long-term development of the company in accordance with its core values. Shares in Ramboll Group A/S are owned by either the Ramboll Foundation (98%) or by the employees of Ramboll (2%).

Both Henning Larsen and Ramboll currently have by far the largest part of their revenue outside Denmark, and the acquisition allows them to achieve an even stronger global footprint. The joint global platform of 16,500 architects, engineers and other experts in 35 countries makes it possible to strengthen the position in key markets such as the Nordic countries, USA, Germany and Asia, where both companies have focused in recent years.

Throughout the years, Ramboll and Henning Larsen have worked together on a number of iconic projects, such as the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavik, Iceland, and the Opera in Copenhagen, Denmark. The companies currently collaborate on projects in the Carlsberg City and the Redmolen in Copenhagen.