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BIG architects: natural history museum proposal



Project: natural history museum
Type: competition
Client: ministry of climate, energy and buildings, university of copenhagen
Collaborators: AKT II, wissenberg, vogt landscape, space syntax london, kvorning design og kommunikation, davis langdon (AECOM), luxigon
Size: 38 000 m2
Location: copenhagen, denmark
Status: idea
Partner in charge: bjarke ingels, andreas pedersen
Project leader: jakob henke
Team: frederk lyng, ryohei koike, ricardo palma, karol borkowski, alina tamosiunaite, teresa fernadez rojo, martin jonsbæk Nielsen





BIG architects' proposal for the new natural history museum in denmark is a man-made mineral landscape which adapts to the organic forms of the botanical garden situated in the centre of copenhagen where the institution is located - their extension is a formation of rocks which intersect with the surrounding green park landscape.



Above ground, the site's existing geological garden stands as the public entrance plaza where all services and activities are housed below the overhead perforated stone surface of the new annex. the botanical garden is an addition to the current romantic garden on the premises. this green space gets a discreet cut into the surrounding environment providing garden views from the interior of the structure, while also offering glimpses into the galleries themselves from the exterior. Both the geological and botanical gardens incorporate exhibition functions underground.





The two main programs of the building are the grand whale hall and greenhouses, both of which are sunken into the land and shaped by the structural grid, incorporating exhibition functions underground.



The public scopes are housed at ground level making them easily accessible. the grand whale hall - which exhibits some of the oldest skeletons found on earth - becomes the new heart of the museum. the first subterranean level connects all of the buildings already on site to form a continuous exhibition loop which starts and ends with this central area.



The galleries and greenhouses within this section receive daylight through skylights in the landscape. the second subgrade level encompasses all spaces which don't require any daylight intake such as storage spaces and light-sensitive exhibitions.





Source: BIG architects: natural history museum proposal

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