3XN Architects have released design plans for a new contemporary extension of the Historical Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. The museum houses some of the oldest and well-preserved bog bodies in the world: The Tollund Man and Elling Woman. Through the 1,858 square meter extension that includes a contemporary “roofscape” rising from the marshland, the design seeks to build a stronger identity for the museum through its architecture.
The design approach for the new museum was guided by the goal of creating a museum where history and modernity, exhibition and architecture all blend together -Jan Ammundsen, Senior Partner and Head of Competitions at 3XN Architects.
The three new buildings and an integrated landscape design aim to connect the bog bodies with the surroundings in which they were found. When visitors arrive at the new museum they will be taken on a path through a bog-like landscape before arriving at the main entrance. From a distance the main exhibition building is designed to appear as if a piece of peat had been cut out from the bog and pulled in its corners, revealing the pathway to the main exhibition. This “roofscape” rising from the bog will also be accessible for the public to interact with the building as they enter, establishing a powerful connection to how the bodies were discovered from the Nordic swamplands.
The new buildings will be clad with a white stone façade and a wooden interior. Atelier Brückner has collaborated with 3XN for a new exhibition design. Taking the museum’s visitors on a chronological path from the Ice Age to the Middle Ages, the design has a special focus on the Iron Age as the key period of the museum with two unique spaces in the new exhibition building. The entire project is expected to cost in the region of DKK 70 million (approx. $10 million USD).
3XN have managed to create a building which has its own character and at the same time the necessary sensitivity towards the existing listed buildings, says museum director Ole Nielsen. The design concept is clearly reflecting our exhibition and helps setting the mood of the visitors already before they enter the building.
The Silkeborg extension is expected to be completed in 2020 with its new exhibition building, a winter garden and a new administration building with educational facilities.
Architects
Location
Hovedgårdsvej 7, Silkeborg, DenmarkArchitect in Charge
3XNDesign Team
Jan Ammundsen, Kim Herforth Nielsen, Christian Hommelhoff Brink, David Ole Wolthers, Ana Merino, Andrea Baresi, Mathilde Manz, Sang Yeun Lee, Oanh HenriksenExhibition Designer
Atelier BrücknerProject Year
2020Photographs
Courtesy of 3XN ArchitectsArea
1.851 m2
News via: 3XN Architects.
