kengo kuma + associates: natural history museum proposal

‘garden of natural history’ by kengo kuma + associates, copenhagen, denmark all images courtesy of kengo kuma + associates

the proposal for the new danish natural history museum in copenhagen, renamed ‘garden of natural history’ by japanese firm kengo kuma + associates utilizes the surrounding botanical garden to create a fusion of nature and history. the experience begins before even arriving to the building in the natural environment of the city’s gardens where thin concrete canopies peel out of the ground to give glimpses of the enormous suspended fossils inside, inviting visitors to get the full historical experience. vegetative elements are integrated throughout the scope of the program, creating courtyards of green walls, exterior hills sinking under ground to provide a reflective earthen backdrop appropriate for this type of function. the boundary between museum and garden is thus blurred, each complementing the other in peaceful coexistence. full-height glazing visually connect the exhibit spaces with the exterior while allowing natural light to illuminate the displays.

whale room

garden becomes part of the museum experience

vegetative elements exist throughout the program

interior

cafeteria

ground planes sink to sub-grade levels

entrance from botanical gardens

peeling structure allows glimpses inside

courtyard

model

model

model

model

model

site plan

floor plan / level 1

floor plan / level 12

floor plan / whale room

section

section

section

elevation

elevation

elevation

circulation diagram

exhibit diagram

project info:

kengo kuma & associates principal: kengo kuma partner: yuki ikeguchi team: miguel huelga de la fuente, akira kindo, nicola maniero, ryuya umezawa, kimio suzuki, jaime fernández collaborators: karl johan nyqvist, rodrigo veláquez, shinnosuke takayanagi, giacomo sponzilli, jonas may, matthew cho, chang kwon park

erik møller arkitekter partner: peder elgaard team: johanne donsted, christian kusk nielsen jaja architects partners: jan yoshiyuki tanaka, jakob steen christensen, kathrin susanna gimmel team: sam de boever, ingrid roalsø consultants: buro happold, jo gamwell, paul roberts, alex nikolic thing & wainø landskabsarkitekter: marie thing, uffe wainø 2+1 idébureau: rasmus rune nielsen