The Crystal was designed by Schmidt Hammer & Lassen, who also designed the Glass Cube. The new building owes its name to its glass facade and its crystalline shape, laid out in the form of a "Z" and rising asymmetrically above the ground, 31 metres above at the lowest point and 34 metres above at the highest. At each corner of the structure there is an atrium to ensure an optimal intake of light into the building.