Natural Science Center / NORD Arkitekter

Architects: NORD Arkitekter
Location: Bjerringbro, Denmark
Client: Fonden Naturvidenskabernes Hus
Donators: Realdania, Viborg Kommune, Poul Due Jensens Fond and others
Engineer: Cowi a/s, Riisøe Rådgivende Ingeniør –, Svend Ole Hansen ApS – Arup
Landscape Architect: Charlotte Skibsted, Landskabsarkitekt MDL MAA
Client advisor: Rambøll Danmark a/s
Entrepreneur: MT Højgaard a/s, Viborg
Project Area: 2,560 sqm
Budget: 46,300,000 DKK
Project Year: 2007-2009
Photographs: NORD Architects / Adam Mørk

Since the concrete dried last winter the Natural Science Center has attracted a lot of attention worldwide. The Danish building situated in Bjerringbro far away from the capital Copenhagen has just been nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award.

- We are very happy to be nominated. It means a lot to us, says Morten Rask Gregersen partner in Nord Architects Copenhagen.

The Natural Science center is a building out of the ordinary. If you thought atriums spanning two floors were cool, think again. In the Natural Science Center all spaces are open and have views spanning several floors. The building itself is shaped as a cylinder with terraces, openings and cuts to explore and get lost in.

- The idea behind the Natural Science Center is to make young people interested in natural science and pursue a career within that field. Natural Science is about exploring and asking questions, so we wanted to design a building that made them do just that, says partner in Nord Architects Copenhagen Johannes Pedersen.

The building is designed with a sturdy interior to encourage experiments. If a future scientist needs to make a hole in the concrete floor to carry out his experiment, it is quite all right. The architects are okay with it. Despite the Natural Science Center’s iconic status, it is first and foremost a building designed to be used.

- We have made a clear distinction between the interior and the exterior. The interior is rough with concrete surfaces designed to be used, while the exterior has smooth surfaces made of glass profiles. In this way the building is both an elegant icon for Bjerringbro and a place where young people can get their hands dirty doing all sorts of experiments, says Morten Rask Gregersen.