In a conversation between Marilyn Monroe and Lawrence Schiller photographer, she replied: “Don’t be so cocky,” Marilyn replied, “photographers can be easily replaced.” Not the case with the talent of photographers Hufton + Crow, and their great photographs.
Located in the surrounds of Kronborg Castle, which dates back to the fifteenth century, the Danish Maritime Museum forms part of the Kulturhavn Kronborg initiative, an effort to bring cultural attractions to Helsingør's harbour.
The museum's underground galleries present the story of Denmark's maritime history up to the present day, contained within a two-storey rectangular structure that encases the dry dock.
...As Ecklon says, BIG can be rude because so much Danish culture is gentle and civil. If all Danes were like these architects, the country would be unbearable. But there is method in BIG's badness, as – no matter how wayward their projects might look – there is an intelligence behind their moves. A work like the 8 House, a vast ziggurat-hive, looks horrifying at a distance, but closer-to it has surprising intimacy and richness. And the maritime museum, if I might quote Shakespeare for a moment, is a goodly frame. Rowan Moore. 27/10/2013. The Guardian.
Project description by architects
The Danish Maritime Museum had to find its place in a unique historic and spatial context; between one of Denmark’s most important and famous buildings and a new, ambitious cultural centre. This is the context in which the museum has proven itself with an understanding of the character of the region and especially the Kronborg Castle. Like a subterranean museum in a dry dock.
Leaving the 60 year old dock walls untouched, the galleries are placed below ground and arranged in a continuous loop around the dry dock walls - making the dock the centerpiece of the exhibition - an open, outdoor area where visitors experience the scale of ship building. A series of three double-level bridges span the dry dock, serving both as an urban connection, as well as providing visitors with short-cuts to different sections of the museum. The harbor bridge closes off the dock while serving as harbor promenade; the museum’s auditorium serves as a bridge connecting the adjacent Culture Yard with the Kronborg Castle; and the sloping zig-zag bridge navigates visitors to the main entrance.
This bridge unites the old and new as the visitors descend into the museum space overlooking the majestic surroundings above and below ground. The long and noble history of the Danish Maritime unfolds in a continuous motion within and around the dock, 7 meters (23 ft.) below the ground. All floors - connecting exhibition spaces with the auditorium, classroom, offices, café and the dock floor within the museum - slope gently creating exciting and sculptural spaces.
Partner in charge.- Bjarke Ingels, David Zahle.
Project leader.- David Zahle.
Team members.- John Pries Jensen, Henrik Kania, Ariel Joy Norback Wallner, Rasmus Pedersen, Annette Jensen, Dennis Rasmussen, Jan Magasanik, Jeppe Ecklon, Karsten Hammer Hansen, Rasmus Rodam, Rune Hansen, Alina Tamosiunaite, Alysen Hiller, Ana Merino, Andy Yu, Christian Alvarez, Claudio Moretti, Felicia Guldberg, Gül Ertekin, Johan Cool, Jonas Mønster, Kirstine Ragnhild, Malte Kloe, Marc Jay, Maria Mavriku, Masatoshi Oka, Oana Simionescu, Pablo Labra, Peter Rieff, Qianyi Lim, Sara Sosio, Sebastian Latz, Tina Lund Højgaard, Tina Troster, Todd Bennet, Xi Chen, Xing Xiong, Xu Li
Completion date.- 2013
Type.- Invited Competition
Client.- Helsingør Municipality. Helsingør Maritime Museum.
Size.- 6.500 m²
Location.- Helsingør, Dk.
Status.- Completed.
