Villa Wienberg by Friis & Moltke and Wienberg Architects, Denmark

Exterior view of the villa Wienberg. The villa has two connected structures, the facade is covered with black wooden boards and is surrounded by foliage.

Situated in the coastal suburb of Højbjerg on the outskirts of Aarhus is Villa Wienberg, a family home that pays homage to nature. Designed by Aarhus-based Friis & Moltke in collaboration with Wienberg Architects, the house stands like a sleek, Danish fortress amidst the surrounding foliage. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

(Image credit: Mikkel Mortensen)

By Ellie Stathaki

last updated 18 August 2022

The entrance to the villa Wienberg. Black brick and green fences surround the villa. Concrete steps lead to the entrance area. — The unconventional villa is the personal home of the architects. Its angular conversion has rendered the site's original 1940s summerhouse unrecognisable. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

The living room is done in soft oiled oak. To the left, we see the stairs that lead to the upper floor. To the far wall, there is a built-in bookshelf filled with books. — Inside, the villa's articulated floor plan and interesting mix of contrasting materials pave the way for an intriguing experience. The living room, fashioned from soft oiled oak, creates a warm and relaxing atmosphere. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

A detail of the living area. Steps lead to the floor above, below which there is a reading nook. — Angles, levels and pronounced articulations support the architects' intention to create an architecturally simulating space. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

From the oak-clad living room, through an opening, we see a white and very bright concrete kitchen. We see a table with three yellow chairs. — The architects were keen on introducting contrasting materials. Here, the oak-clad living room gives way to bright white concrete and steel kitchen. Such juxtapositions 'create a degree of surprise and makes one curious'*. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen*

Through a white and bright hallway, we see the courtyard, with a tree. — A central courtyard ties the floor plan together and illuminates the interior space spectacularly. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

The master bedroom has a white carpet and white walls. On the wall, there is a photo set in a white frame, with a white tabouret. — Like the kitchen, the interior of the master bedroom is kept cool and light, imbuing the space with a sense of serenity and calm. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

The room has concrete floors, wood-clad walls, and a sitting area that goes all around the room and is covered with brown leather furnishings. Large windows cover the walls, one on each side. — Rustic sheepskins, smooth tan leather furnishings and wide window apertures are cleverly employed to soften the wooden cladding that could otherwise seem heavy. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

The corridor at the villa, is all white, including the floors. The only decoration is a photo framed in a black frame. — Some of the narrower corridors retain the villa's pervading spaciousness thanks to minimalist decoration and floor-to-ceiling white interiors. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

Oak-clad living room, with the individual sitting area covered with sheep skin. On the right wall, there are balcony doors that lead to the outside. — Martin Wienberg has said that his house is one where 'all rooms are conceived in a relationship with each other'. Here, the homogenous wooden cladding of the living room continues up the staircase and leads into the study. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

The bathroom is covered in large, dark grey tiles. To the right, is the sink area with a mirror above it. To the far wall is a bathtub with a window next to it. — In contrast, the dark and uncluttered bathroom emanates an atmosphere of contemporary and quiet luxury. Photography: Mikkel Mortensen

The roof terrace at the villa is very spacious and can be accessed from the study. Two white lounge chairs are set on the roof deck. — Along with the extensive and sheltering garden, the house has an unexpectedly large roof terrace, which takes up about a third the entire upper floor plan, accessible from the study. Photography: Jacob Termansen

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).

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