DESIGNMUSEUM DANMARK WELCOMES NEW KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

Since 1926, Designmuseum Danmark has been housed in one of Copenhagen’s finest Rococo buildings: the former Royal Frederiks Hospital. In the early 1920s, the renowned architect Kaare Klint designed the museum and articulated a vision for a learning wing to the north of the main building, which is now – over 100 years later – being realised with support from the Villum Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, and the C.L. Davids Foundation and Collection, which together have contributed 50 million Danish kroner to the project. Anne-Louise Sommer, Director of Designmuseum Danmark, shares her thoughts on the project:

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous support, which means we can create a vibrant and accessible learning hub that frames and enables lifelong learning and education in design, crafts, and artistry. A laboratory where there is space for the intersection of world-class research and learning environments, where new ideas are developed and tested – to the benefit of our visitors.”

Jens Kann-Rasmussen, Chairman of the Board of the Villum Foundation, which also donated the museum’s design workshop, inaugurated in 2012, adds:

“At the Villum Foundation, we are pleased to support the creation of The New House, which brings together research, education, and the dissemination of Danish design history under one roof. It is our shared history, and it is important that it is preserved and used for the benefit of current and future generations. And when The New House also considers both the museum’s history and architecture, as well as sustainability in the construction, there is much to look forward to.”

A SPACE FOR DESIGN-RELATED EXCHANGE

The New House will house, among other things, a library, a reading and study room, and the museum’s design workshop, providing space for learning, study, and open workshop areas with high accessibility – even outside the museum’s regular opening hours. A multipurpose hall will accommodate lectures, design debates, seminars, conferences, industry meetings, and pop-up exhibitions – creating a unique space for professional design exchange. The existing design workshop will remain and become an integral part of the new building.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESPECT FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE PLACE

The new building is designed by Praksis, who are recognised and award-winning for their ability to sensitively integrate modern buildings into older surroundings with respect and character. The New House will be integrated into the unique architectural environment of Frederiksstaden, continuing the spirit of the place with a modern expression.

Mette Tony, partner at Praksis, states:

“We are so pleased to have been entrusted with this exciting task. Adding a new building to Frederiksstaden is a particularly delicate challenge, where it’s essential to be attentive; it’s about sensitively integrating the new building into the city’s unique character. The fact that The New House will be so outward-facing and publicly accessible as a new part of Designmuseum Danmark is absolutely the right approach for the site.”

Sustainability is central to the upcoming construction – both broadly, in terms of respect for the place’s history, neighbours, and surroundings, and more tangibly in relation to sustainability in materials and construction, as well as durability, ensuring the building will endure for future generations.

With the completion of The New House, the transformation of the building that began with the extensive restoration of the protected museum building in 2020-22 will be brought to a close. The first spade will be dug for The New House, which will be built along the museum’s left wing, in the summer of 2025.