Western Denmark

I just got back from the last study tour of the summer to Western Denmark. It was quick, but we saw a lot!

We started in Faaborg, in southern Denmark, at the Faaborg Museum:

Faaborg Museum – Carl Petersen

Next, we stopped in Middelfart to see the new bank, designed by 3XN. The ceiling uses prisms to allow optimal daylight into each level of the building.

Middelfart Sparkasse – 3XN

Next, we went north to Aarhus, which is the second biggest city in Denmark.

Aarhus Krematorium Kapel – Henning Larsen

We went to ARoS in Aarhus as well, currently, they have exhibitions by Olafur Eliasson, who is famous for his art pieces which focus on light and color.

Beauty – Olafur Eliasson

Beauty uses a small mist of water and a light to create a rainbow.

Your Atmospheric Colour Atlas – Olafur Eliasson

In this piece, Eliasson fills a room with a mist that prevents the viewer from seeing more than a foot or two. He uses red, green and blue lights to color the mist, and these three colors then blend so all the colors of the rainbow are visible.

Your Rainbow Panorama – Olafur Eliasson

This is an installation on the roof of the museum, where users can walk through a circular passageway and experience the city in a variety of colors.

Your Rainbow Panorama – Olafur Eliasson

Koldinghus – Inger & Johannes Exner

Koldinghus is a 13th century castle that had fallen into disrepair until the 1970′s when it was restored. However, the architects did not hide the work they were doing, the repairs are very elegant and do a great job of not detracting from the original form of the castle, while adding the necessary repairs. This is probably the most effective preservation of an old building I have ever seen.

Koldinghus – Inger & Johannes Exner

Trapholt Museum – Bente Aude & Boje Lundgaard

The final stop of the trip was an ancient Viking fortress. The buildings are obviously gone, but their foundations and barriers remain. Sheep live there now.