At the Aarhus harbor, Navitas was meant to be a bastion of architectural quality. Everyone expected a building in such a prominent location to welcome visitors and give back to its surroundings. But Ane Cortzen can’t find the inviting staircase or the transparent structure that Aarhus was promised.

In Copenhagen, Denmark’s largest hotel has been erected right where people enter the capital and its harbor. The goal wasn’t to recreate the criticized 1990s monoliths by the waterfront—but the hotel’s facade shows we’ve hardly learned anything. Ane Cortzen chases down who is responsible for the building turning out this way.

Lilli Gyldenkildes Torv in Horsens promised golden opportunities and green surroundings as part of a new public housing project—but today it stands as a car-oriented development rather than a people-friendly space. Ane Cortzen seeks to understand why Horsens didn’t get the airy, green construction they were promised.