The Relocation at Copenhagen Airport of The Lauritzen Terminal from 1939

On the night between the 18th and 19th September 1999, the Copenhagen Airport was shortly closed while the Lauritzen Terminal was transported more than two kilometres across the runways on 755 wheels, which were remote-controlled by computer.

The 4000 square metre Terminal is 105 metres long and weighs 2622 tons. It contains great architectural and engineering features from the international functional period, but formed an obstacle to the extension of the airport.

It was decided to relocate the Lauritzen Terminal, and Erik Reitzel A/S, civil engineers, played a vital role through several phases of the project :

In 1991 we worked out a design for moving the building to another site. In 1994 the design formed the basis for the airport’s considerations on using the Terminal for commuter traffic. In 1997 the design was taken into account when scheduling the building as a monument. In 1999 Monberg & Thorsen, contractors, asked our firm to work together with them on the relocation project. A further elaboration of our 1991 design was submitted as a tender, and was finally chosen. The contractors employed Van Seumeren, specialists in heavy lifting and transport.

Neither the wave shaped shell roof nor the windows of the Terminal were damaged in the journey.