Visitor Centre, The Frigate Jutland (2005)
Schmidt Hammer Lassen - SHL
Facts:
Architect
schmidt hammer lassen architects
Client
The Independent Institution Fregatten Jylland
Area
4,850 m²
Construction sum
€ 8,1 million excl. VAT
Competition
1995, 1st prize in invited competition
Status
Completed 2005
Engineer
Rambøll A/S
Awards
2005, Nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award
Description:
The Frigate Jutland is a maritime visitor centre named after the ship that now forms its center piece.
The Frigate Jutland was launched from Holmen in the Harbour of Copenhagen in 1860. It was originally built as a warship, but for a while it also served as a royal yacht. In 1960 the frigate arrived at the small Danish Harbour of Ebeltoft, where it deteriorated for some years before being restored, and it is now on display as a museum. It is the world’s longest existing wooden vessel, a national treasure and an international visitor attraction.
schmidt hammer lassen architects was commissioned to design a maritime visitor centre on the Harbour of Ebeltoft, using the historical Danish naval ship as the nucleus of the display. The result is a world class visitor centre featuring dockyard facilities and a museum building with exhibition galleries, an auditorium, a café, a shop and administration offices. The visitor centre takes the form of a long series of buildings aligned parallel to the coastline.
It has been crucial to create an environment and an atmosphere with clear maritime references. At the same time the ship had to be maintained as a visual landmark, viewed both from the town and from the sea. The visitor centre is a modern interpretation of a maritime, workshop-based environment. This is expressed by using a palette of traditional materials harking back to early maritime origins: blackened fir, larch and granite
Old crossbeam constructions from the gunboat sheds on Holmen have been reused in parts of the dockyard buildings and form the basis of crossbeam sections in the rest of the dockyard buildings as well as the museum and café building. These wooden structures are crafted from Pomeranian fir and, like the ship, date back to the 19th century.
The museum building forms the visitor reception area. The high end of the building faces the coast with a glass front that affords a panoramic view of the harbour and the ship. The low end of the building sits on a raised, angled, stone base, reminiscent of a typical fortified stone coastal settlement. At the same time the stone bastion creates a framework for the installation, so that it is perceived as a whole from both land and sea.
The Frigate Jutland visitor centre has created an integrated maritime environment in the heart of Ebeltoft. The historical naval vessel is presented as a highly prized example of naval heritage, located in a carefully considered setting where history and modern architecture can be explored side by side.
Download:
Copyright is held by schmidt hammer lassen architects for all images appearing on this website.
The downloading or electronic copying of material for use by the media or for non-commercial use is permitted subject to copyright laws and restrictions and provided the images are not altered or manipulated in any way.
When using the images, drawings or diagrams, please credit schmidt hammer lassen architects.
In order to view this page you need JavaScript and Flash Player 8+ support!