ASA JOURNAL Vol.2 | 2018

The outdoor landscape houses a cluster of small and
(8 House and Danish Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010) or even
concrete, and minimalistic shapes that blend with the natural
allow architecture to exist as a part of the environment without
large stone benches, designed to spell the name of the museum
skiing (Amager Bakke Waste to Energy Plant).
surrounding. (Plummer, 2012)
too much reliance on modern tools or machines. (Winston,
in Morse code. The edges of the ramp that leads visitors to the
2015)
museum are folded into the detail of the railing, resulting in the
Among the unique elements are the intersected/over-
While the examples given by Glancey are museums
section of the walkway bearing resemblance to a ship.
lapped spaces such as the floor plates of the auditorium and
whose exhibited objects and purposes may be different from
The Maritime Museum of Denmark has brought about
exhibition space that are interconnected in sharp corners and
the one of Helsingor and therefore contribute to different re-
several interesting issues from the solution that reinterprets and
The metaphorical representation of the place is visualized
creates an interesting perspective between the auditorium’s
quirements that each work of architecture is expected to fulfill,
defies the given rules, the use of unorthodox construction and
through the curated circulation that leads visitors down to the
inclined walls and the top and lower floor of the exhibition space.
Glancey’s views and the architectural characteristics observed
engineering technologies, the intent to conserve architecture
museum’s space and resembling the descent into the deep ocean.
The wooden floor of the auditorium extends underneath the
by Plummer inevitably call for one to contemplate the connec-
that may be lesser known but possess its own valuable story
(Maritime Museum of Denmark, n.d.) Natural light and visual
upper exhibition room, forming a space with low ceilings where
tion between the identity of a country and evolving designs of
such as the old dry dock to the design that allows the old and
access to the old dock are made visible at the circulating exhi-
the children auditorium is located, expressing the fun element
its museums.
the new to coexist. BIG did not propose a final outcome that
bition space, auditorium and cafe, which cross paths with the
often found in BIG’s architecture.
kept the entire original structure untouched. The walls were
curated route of the permanent exhibition. The permanent
As a national museum, to what extent does the Maritime
partially drilled or covered with new materials to serve new
exhibition space, however, does not have access to the outside
In his article published in the Architectural Review,
Museum of Denmark required to express the identity of Danish
functions, but at the same time, preserved enough for one to
view and the absence of natural light is possibly the metaphor-
Jonathan Glancey, the British architectural critic, discusses the
architecture that is simple and calm with the use of materials of
understand the story and value of the past.
ical interpretation of the deep sea.
Maritime Museum of Denmark with an interesting observation
pale, natural colors including the shape and form that effectively
that despite the work being an extraordinary piece of architec-
controls the amount of natural light.
The interior space houses a vast array of design gimmicks
Structurally, the large iron chain at the circulating exhi-
ture, the dimly lit ramps that lead visitors into the museum’s
such as the unified exhibition space separated by the varying
bition space is arguably reminiscent of the chains used in ocean
exhibition spaces, which are packed with displayed objects and
While the museum is not the most humble piece of ar-
sizes of the passageway or the ascending and descending ramps.
liners. The architects explain that the thick iron chain is not
gimmicks, can be too overwhelming and confusing for one to
chitecture nor does it serve as a backdrop or a frame of the
The boundary of the auditorium is determined by the curtain
there only as a decorative element but suspending from the
enjoy.
exhibited objects the way Roskilde and Bygdøy do, BIG’s mu-
when used while several elements of the building are conceived
bridges with lead visitors into the museum above, the chain also
seum is successful is the sense of an edifice with interesting
to be relatable to different dimensions of maritime expedition
functions to support the weight of the circulating exhibition
Glancey mentions the Viking Ship Museum at Roskilde,
gimmicks, and as a design that manages to maintain the visual
such as the form, structure and the way the space is experienced.
space. (Pritchard, 2014)
Denmark designed by Danish architect, Erik Christian Sørensen
access to the majestic Kronborg Castle and coexist with the
back in 1969 and Bygdøy Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway,
history of the site. Scandinavia’s contemporary spirit is portrayed
Ultimately, despite the building being tucked away under
On the compositional scale, the stairway that connects
by Norwegian architect Arnstein Arneberg in 1926 as examples
in several dimensions whether it is the design’s consideration
the ground level and distinctive yet humble to its surrounding
the last exhibition room to the souvenir shop is designed to have
of naturally lit spaces created under serene and humble struc-
in public space and the Scandinavian love for outdoor lifestyle
environment, one cannot overlook its radically materialized
curvy details that remind one of the structural keels of a ship.
tures and creates designs that allow the displayed objects to shine
seen in the form of an unoccupied void that is now being used
program. It might not be a national museum with the most
The shelves inside the museum shop are hung from the ceiling
instead of being overshadowed by imposing architecture.
as an outdoor activity ground for music performances. It is also
humble architectural expression of Denmark’s vernacular ar-
and move when touched, presumably conveying the movement
(Glancey, 2014)
reflected in the way the work prioritizes children with the in-
chitecture, but many aspects of its spirit are the quintessential
of objects on a ship.
clusion of the children’s auditorium in the program with its
reflection the Danish identity, just like the Vernacular Archi-
The two museums are simple, peaceful, unassuming and
lowered ceiling, to the use of materials and colors that are dif-
tecture 2.0 that BIG has defined.
On a smaller scale of the joint details, the brass pins
make excellent use of natural light, which are outstanding char-
ferent from the main auditorium, and the museum’s model
fastening the wood chairs inside the auditorium are possibly
acteristics of Scandinavian architecture. Professor Henry Plum-
created for kids. Other tangible portrayals of the spirit of Scan-
inspired by wood joinery of ship models and buttons of captains’
mer explains that the characterization of Scandinavian archi-
dinavian architecture are the circulating exhibition space and
uniform jackets.
tecture takes place between 1920 and 1930 when architects like
museum cafe that are opened to natural light and the mono-
A New Architecture: Living Traits of Scandinavian
Architecture
Alvar Aalto (Finnish), Sigurd Lewerentz (Swedish) and Arne
Jacobsen (Danish) started to loosen the formality and Modernism’s
affinity for mechanical elements through the incorporation
chromic colors of aluminum, transparent glass, oak wood floor
of the material palette, which fittingly coexist with the concrete
surface of the old dock.
While legal regulations forced the museum’s design to be
fairly humble compared to other works in BIG’s architectural
of unique characteristics in the Scandinavian region (such as
soft light and sun path from the low solar altitude) as inspiration
Conclusion
portfolio, the new built structure does contain other architec-
and composition of its architectural identity. Such attempt can
In 2015, Bjarke Ingels discussed the homogenization of
tural traits found in other works of the architecture firm such
be seen through the formation of architectural form and use of
architecture as a result of the Modernist movement and how he
as the circulation or user movement, which are an integral part
materials that are less absorbent to sunlight to maximize the
wants to create Vernacular Architecture 2.0, which is essential-
of the firm’s architectural characteristic. Such mobility comes
presence of natural light. The result is the use of materials such
ly locally derived but not entirely original vernacular architec-
in the form of users’ access to buildings through walking, cycling
as concrete with silvery surfaces, wood with pale colors, white
tural creations adapted with the use of design technology to
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วารสารสถาปัตยกรรมของสมาคมสถาปนิกสยาม
ในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ Issue 02 / 2018
Academic Journal of The Association of Siamese Architects
under the Royal Patronage
วารสารสถาปัตยกรรมของสมาคมสถาปนิกสยาม
ในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ Issue 02 / 2018
Academic Journal of The Association of Siamese Architects
under the Royal Patronage