KHR Architecture has appointed Mads Bjarrum as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 April 2026, as the company looks to expand its Nordic design legacy across international markets. Bjarrum joins from BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, where he served as Group COO, and succeeds Lars Kragh in the role.
The appointment marks an important step in the generational transition that KHR has initiated in recent years and is intended to strengthen integration within the ARX Group, which KHR joined in 2024.
“Mads brings a rare combination of international leadership experience and insight into the architectural profession. At the same time, he has great respect for KHR’s architectural profile and history. This is exactly the balance we have been looking for for the next phase of the company’s development,” said Andrea Galli, CEO of the Swiss ARX Group, which is the majority shareholder of KHR Architecture.
For the past eight years, Mads Reese Bjarrum has served as Group COO at BIG, where he has been responsible for the organisation and operations of the firm’s offices in Copenhagen, London and New York. In this role, he has worked closely with the management team to develop and scale an international architectural practice and to ensure the financial and organisational framework for the firm’s global projects. In 2023, he was named one of Denmark’s leading business talents in the Berlingske Talent 100.
“KHR Architecture is one of the design studios in Denmark that has helped shape modern Nordic architecture for decades. This is a strong professional foundation that I look forward to building on,” said Mads Reese Bjarrum.
He points out that the integration into ARX opens up new opportunities for KHR Architecture to work across markets and project types.
“The ARX collaboration gives us an international platform that I see great potential in. It gives us the opportunity to bring KHR's architectural approach to more international projects - and at the same time bring international competences into our Danish ones. There is already an exciting pipeline of projects that I look forward to developing together with the team.”
He also emphasises that the architectural sector is currently undergoing rapid change:
“The architectural sector has become significantly more complex. Projects are larger, there are more requirements, and collaboration with clients and consultants is more integrated than before. The challenge is to maintain high architectural standards whilst managing this complexity. If we succeed in doing so, we will be in a strong position both in the Danish market and internationally.”
KHR Architecture was founded in 1946 and currently employs around 60 people. The studio is responsible for a number of striking projects in Denmark, including the Copenhagen Metro, University of Southern Denmark and University of Copenhagen Amager. In recent years, KHR has also worked on projects internationally, including educational and healthcare construction. With the integration in ARX Group KHR has gained access to a broader international network and new collaborations across the group.
Lars Kragh is stepping down as CEO of KHR Architecture after 12 years, seven of which as a partner. He will continue to support KHR to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
