This week, we celebrate a milestone that successfully jas proven how urban mobility can be redefined, enab ling better use of space in growing cities: DOKK1.
The DOKK1 building is home to Scandinavia's largest library, a café, community spaces and more. It serves as the focal point of Aarhus’s inner harbour, an area that was transformed ten years ago from an industrial site into a vibrant, modern, and livable urban district. DOKK1 was designed for an open, accessible and embedded city life and Lödige Industries’ space- and time-saving car parking system remains a key enabling element in the visitors’ journeys.
Commissioned in 2015, the fully automated public car park under DOKK1 has since parked over 2.6 million cars, The system, built using our proprietary RESPACE Shifter technology, accommodates 972 vehicles across three underground levels. With an average retrieval time of only 62 seconds, the system combines convenience with reliability.
What makes DOKK1 exceptional is not just its capacity or speed, but the fact that it enables smart land use in an area with complex spatial constraints. Conventional parking solutions were not feasible due to the site’s proximity to the harbour wall and the need to preserve open public spaces. Lödige’s automated solution allowed an increase in capacity by up to 40% while freeing valuable surface area for public life. More space could be dedicated to pedestrian zones, green areas and cultural facilities – making the harbour front livelier and more accessible.
“This project is a great example of how we at Lödige help cities become more liveable,” says Philippe De Backer, CEO of Lödige Industries. “By using smart technology, we were able to create parking capacity without consuming valuable public space above ground. It’s a win for mobility, architecture and the environment.”
The parking system has operated with remarkable reliability and has supported the city’s wider ambition to reduce inner-city car traffic and emissions. With its bright, safe and user-friendly interface, the DOKK1 parking system has become a role model for future mobility.
As we celebrate this anniversary, we look back on a decade of partnership and performance – and forward to continuing our mission of making movement smarter, greener and more efficient.
