Danish Castle Centre by Lundgaard & Tranberg

Description of the project by Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter

The new exhibition hall for the Danish Castle Centre is built on top of the castle ruin in Vordingborg, one of the finest and best preserved ancient monuments dating back to medieval Denmark. The new building is a wedge shaped object with a rust-coloured steel surface, rising from – or appears to be sinking into - the terrain. It has been built alongside the elder, long, half-timbered building which after renovation, also form part of the grounds.

The architectural concept is motivated by the desire to avoid an actual new construction on the castle ruin, and to accentuate the uniquely scenic character of the place and view of the ocean when arriving to the ruin from the city square.

Furthermore the shape of the building is determined by the demarcation of the building plot, the preservation requirements of the castle grounds, the occurrence of ancient monuments in the subsoil, and the local topography. A steep flight of stairs as broad as the new building, leads to the underground level protruding under the castle park, creating a dramatic staging of the exhibition which consists of both historical objects and interactive, audiovisual media.

For the new building, rustic and textural materials were chosen to correspond with the castle ruin’s other facilities. The aim was to downplay the building’s own overall significance and create the right atmosphere for visiting the castle ruin.