STATUS
IN DESIGN
BIG is set to transform a former supermarket building into the new Museum for Paper Art in the North Jutland region of Denmark. The current 900 m2 museum space, located in a former Aldi supermarket, will be transformed and expanded to double the museum’s annual number of visitors as well as embrace paper as an art form and expertise. BIG reimagines the museum as a 2300 m2 building building with space for workshops, events, teaching rooms, storage, and office facilities.
The adaptive reuse project is pursuing DGNB Gold or Platinum certification.
The Museum for Paper Art is conceived as a new lightweight roof structure. Like a single sheet of paper, the roof lands on the existing building and creates space for the new functions around it – uniting the new and old under one roof. The existing building walls will get a new acoustic-regulating layer of paper art on the exterior, inspired by origami and designed in collaboration with several paper artists.
“Paper art is deeply embedded in our cultural heritage, showcased through Denmark's paper art tradition through iconic designs such as Le Klint's folding lamps and H.C. Andersen's paper clips. Carrying this legacy into the future is something that this museum has at its heart. We are also proud of recycling an existing building.”
EXISTING BUILDING
PREPARING FOR EXTENSION
— Parts of the existing structure will be removed to allow the extension of new museum spaces.
SIMPLIFIED VOLUME
— The result is a pure gable volume that retains the existing structural elements and the exhibition inside.
EXTENSION PROGRAM
— The project proposes extending the museum to the eastern side of the site to include public programs.
PAPER-LIKE ROOF
— To unify old and new programs, activities, and areas, a light paper-like roof structure is proposed.
FOLDED PAPER-LIKE ROOF
— The roof lands on the site, folding at the edge of the existing gable to respect the old building underneath.
STRUCTURE
— The structure is primarily made of timber beams laid in a simple grid system.
RAINWATER COLLECTION
— The curves on the roof serve to efficiently channel rainwater into an outdoor pond.
LANDSCAPE
— The project proposes a landscape design inspired by the local dune landscapes with its undulating forms and shifting patterns as well as the flowing, intricate designs found in paper art.
Inside, the focal point of the museum is reflected in the architecture as surfaces are draped with a timber construction made from the wood that is used to make paper.
“Paper art is about creating three-dimensional shapes and complex images from a monochromatic two-dimensional material - a sheet of paper. By treating the roof surface as such - a single sheet of folded paper - existing and new functions are brought together in one unifying gesture. The expressive is accentuated by the clear, complexity arises from simplicity. And an obsolete supermarket finds new life under the floating curved roof."
The Museum for Paper Art will offer spaces for a variety of public activities. A meandering path with plants and trees native to the area will invite the public to explore the surroundings and create a welcoming public realm to pull the visitors into the museum.
Bjarke Ingels David Zahle Mantas Povilaika Tomas Karl Ramstrand Kai-Brith Kalda Jesper Ullbing Matthew Goodwill
