Critical infrastructure encompasses the systems and structures essential to the functioning of our society. These may support economic or social functions, such as health, transport, energy, information, food supply, or security, and architecture plays a central role in many of these domains. When buildings that support critical functions fail to operate, the consequences extend beyond the site itself, potentially compromising public safety or interrupting access to vital resources.
UdforskArchive facility for Danish cultural heritage
Civic & Commercial
Shared Archive Facility for the Royal Danish Library and National Museum
Vinge, Denmark
Gottlieb Paludan Architects has designed the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces' Shared Archive Facility near Frederikssund, Denmark. The project was carried out in collaboration with DS Flexhal and Artelia.
The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces has established the Shared Archive Facility in Vinge near Frederikssund – a facility that serves as a shared storage solution for the Royal Danish Library and the National Museum. The archive is designed to house cultural heritage objects of very high national value, which requires a building with great climate stability, robust construction solutions, and a high level of security. The construction had to be built at a very low square meter cost while also offering an architectural design that reflects the cultural value of the contents and meets the strict logistical and security requirements.
Client
Agency for Culture and Palaces
Status
Completed
Size
21000 m2
Year
2021
Collaborators
DS Flexhal, Artelia, Bruynzeel Storage Systems
Areas of Expertise
Photos
Lars Rolfsted Mortensen
The Shared Archive Facility is located at the highest point of the terrain, offering views over the cultural landscape. The building is divided into four individually distinguishable sections with varying heights to break down its massive size. The repository is constructed from light concrete elements with a concave front slab that creates a soft and varied shadow play on the façade, highlighting the simple principles of the building system.
The concave façades evoke the fluting of classical architecture's column orders, thus relating to the National Museum and the Royal Danish Library's collections, which connect Danish culture with other cultural movements that have shaped the development of Denmark.
Simplicity and beauty in focus
Challenge
The Shared Archive Facility looks simple with its closed facades, but the building had to be constructed at a very modest price per square metre, while also meeting high standards of security and indoor climate, reflecting its noble purpose and the great cultural value of the objects stored there.
Method
The design process was characterised by close collaboration between architects, engineers and contractors, rigorous prioritisation of technical success criteria and a strong focus on optimising and simplifying the architectural elements. The façade elements were developed in a close collaboration between the architect and the contractor's manufacturers.
Impact
The collaboration has resulted in a building that meets its technical success criteria, stays within budget and reflects its function as a humble repository for historical national treasures.
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Tine Kjærulff Bay
Creative DirectorArchitect MAA
tkb@gottliebpaludan.com+45 2060 6594