3XN Wins Cultural Project in Aarhus
© 3XN
Danish architects 3XN has won an Architectural Competition to transform the former freight train halls in Aarhus, Denmark into a new and dynamic cultural center. The new cultural hub for scenography, visual arts and literature will soon be constructed within a historical framework in Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus.
The new cultural center is meant to be an inspiring setting that stimulates production of the arts and facilitates the interaction amongst the various artistic metiers, business and education.
3XNs proposal adds elements of nature, with green spaces injecting a natural raw quality which plays up to the historic nature of the existing halls which were used for rail freight in the past. More images and description after the break.
The jury’s decision on the winning proposal was based on the project being a ’facilitating link, historical, functional and comprising an architectural spatiality’.
The building is expected to be a flexible space with optimal usage of more than 9,000 m2. The project is comprised of the renovation of the existing freight halls along with a new building with rooms and large scale auditoria. The roof of the building will appear as an extension of the green space – and indeed will take the form of a green ‘carpet’ over the new building. There are a number of other green initiatives that will be brought to the project – primarily with a view to reducing the building’s electricity needs for ventilation, pumps and lighting.
© 3XN
The Cultural Production Center is expected to be completed in 2012 and is a collaboration between the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark and the Realdania Foundation.
The winning team is comprised of 3XN Architects, Hans Ulrik Jensen A/S, Exners Studio, Nord Arkitekter and Søren Jensen Engineers.
© 3XN
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23 comments »
“being a ’facilitating link, historical, functional” – the form is interesting but are you kidding me. what does that thing have to do with its context. it could be build anywhere and it just happens to be dropped right in the middle of a train yard. no bueno.
well, I think the very interesting form is certainly a new interpretation of the old forms. The hill does seem a little steep but it is hard to judge from the rendering alone
why the heck is every one making the people climb on top of the buildings? ….
i totally agree. tree-monkeys!!!
may be because ‘the goat syndrome’ has affected people.
usually goat likes to climb top of landscape, and now, architect design bldg that can be climb up
hwahahaha…, just kidding..
basically, i like the effect of “blurring the boundaries” between ‘landscape’, body (of bldg) and ‘head’ (of bldg). so people can have the ‘total feeling of architecture’
Why waste space by not giving it to people?
damn idioms
is interesting to u ke do not use much of their context it is interesting to see who laughs good internal perspectives and spatial distribution to give a full verdict
The idea of providing new program in the center of the station while keeping exterior space shifted on the roof is interesting.
Formally, I don’t think this shape is the most appropriate to accommodate with the proximity of the freight halls, leaving interstices that will soon be dirty and freaky.
The rendering of the rooftop does neither convince me to climb their, it doesn’t seem to add any extra quality.
The long running discussion regarding new use of the old freight train terminal in Aarhus finalized in this project. I’m looking forward to visit the building when it’s realized to see if gathering of cultural institutions brings the intended synergy effect to this building.
NOOOOOOOO
This is a terrible answer to the difficulty of programming the inner spaces of the really cool old building..
The old building could do with minor renovations and you you build the lame clone of everything else you guys make right now somewhere else on the pretty big plot – if you must……
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