The beautiful historic ruins of Kalø Castle are unmissable, but its planned visitor center might not be too easy to spot. Danish architectural firm Arkitema Architects unveiled their winning proposal for the historic site’s visitor center, a hill-shaped building designed to blend into the surrounding hilly landscape. The unusual building is crafted as an extension of the Mols Bjerge National Park in Denmark to keep focus on the ruins and existing architecture.
Located in eastern Jutland just 20 kilometers from the Danish city of Aarhus, the Kalø Castle Ruins are a major tourist attraction that holds a dramatic history dating back to the 14th century. Thus a new visitor center was needed to accommodate the approximately 150,000 tourists that visit the ruins annually. Arkitema Architects designed a building to meet that scale of need but wanted to preserve the existing views. The resulting design is one that disguises the visitor center as a natural landform.
Related: This green-roofed visitor center will be nestled under a hill in Denmark
The gently sloping hill-shaped building will be constructed of timber and brick and cover two floors connected by a large staircase that doubles as a meeting point. The visitor center will also house an exhibition area, gathering space, and a restaurant with panoramic views of the ruins. The roof will be accessible to visitors as well. The project is slated to open to the public in 2019.
Via ArchDaily
Images via Arkitema Architects
