Underground history

Bjarke Ingels Group has completed its renovation of the Danish National Maritime Museum, creating a cultural hotspot in the Helsingør region.

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has completed the renovation scheme for the Danish National Maritime Museum, successfully reflecting the country’s historical and contemporary role as one of the world’s leading maritime nations.

In collaboration with Kossmann.dejong, Rambøll, Freddy Madsen and KiBiSi, BIG has integrated crucial historic elements with an innovative concept of galleries and wayfinding systems to offer residents and visitors a variety of cultural experiences and ease of museum navigation.

Leaving the 60-year-old dock walls untouched, the galleries are placed below ground and arranged in a continuous loop around the dock walls – making the dock the centrepiece of surrounding exhibitions – an open, outdoor area where visitors can experience the scale of the building.

A series of three double-level bridges span the dock, serving as both an urban connection as well as providing visitors with shortcuts to different sections of the museum. The bridges connect all exhibition spaces, galleries, the auditorium, classrooms, offices and cafés to the dock while simultaneously creating exciting sculptural spaces.   

The Danish National Maritime Museum was opened to the public in early October 2013 for outdoor activities, exhibitions and events, making the museum a cultural hub in Helsingør, Denmark. 

Watch the Talk with Bjarke Ingels