Culture Yard (Kulturvaerftet), Helsingor, Denmark. Architect: AART Architects, 2010. Main elevation at dusk.

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The Culture Yard occupies a key site, at the foot of the UNESCO-listed Kronborg Castle in Elsinore. AART have skilfully converted a former red brick shipbuilding yard into a 13,000 m2 cultural centre, including concert halls, conference facilities, a museum and a public library. They paid particular attention to preserving the past while adapting the building for the future: the original concrete frame, for instance, has been reinforced but left exposed as a reference to the site's industrial heritage. Most striking is the geometric glass and white metal external skin, particularly at night when the lights of Culture Yard shine out towards the narrow straits that separate Denmark and Sweden. The skin also acts as a climate shield, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling. BIG's remarkable Danish Maritime Museum has recently opened in a former dry dock next to the Centre.

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Photo credit: © David Borland-VIEW / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 2010, 21st, aart, allegade, architects, architecture, centre, century, conversion, cultural, culture, denmark, dusk, elsinore, europe, exterior, general, helsingor, heritage, image, industrial, library, media, refurbishment, series, shipbuilding, view, yard