Steven Holl Architects - Herning Center of Arts

Competition winner
Steven Holl Architects
Herning Center of the Arts
Herning, Denmark

The Herning Center of the Arts unites, for the first time, three distinct cultural institutions: The Herning Art Museum, the MidWest ensemble and the Socle du Monde.

Sketch courtesy Steven Holl

The new Center, intended to be an innovative forum combining visual art and music, includes permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, a 300 seat auditorium, music rehearsal rooms, a restaurant, a media library and administrative offices.

Sketch courtesy Steven Holl

Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects

Steven Holl’s design proposal arises from a fusion of landscape and architecture and aims at “building the site.” In transforming a flat field, a new inspiring bermed landscape of grass mounds and pools conceals the parking and service areas, while drawing focus onto reflecting pools positioned in south sun.

Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects

Gallery spaces are simple, orthogonal and finely proportioned for art. Overhead curved roof sections transport natural light into the spaces and internal gallery walls of lightweight construction are movable, providing flexibility of movement in anticipation of changing exhibition and functional requirements.

Sketch courtesy Steven Holl

The curved roofs are made of stress skin structures comprised of carbon fiber strands within a resin matrix. The undersides of the painted white textured surface of the roof structure are visible from within the interior spaces. Roof stability is ensured through the introduction of thin rods within the window mullions that act as tension elements to counterbalance uneven forces over the center support, like a see-saw tied down on either side.

Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects

“Green” rooftops are covered with a thin layer of “sedum’” which is possible due to the advanced improvement in rooftop mesh fabric technology. The fabric theme is carried throughout the elevation in the textured white fabric of the concrete walls.

Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects

The aerial view of the new building bares a striking resemblance to a collection of shirtsleeves. Other “green” aspects of the design including a geothermal HVAC system and grey water recycling, set this apart as an exemplary design for 21st century museum architecture.

Drawing courtesy Steven Holl Architects
Ground Floor Plan

Drawing courtesy Steven Holl Architects
Section

Building site: 12.000 square meters
Total area: approx. 6,750 square meters
Estimated construction start: Fall 2006

Partners: Herning Art Museum, Ensemble MidtVest, Socle du Monde
Builder: Herning Center of the Arts Project Foundation

Architect: Steven Holl Architects
Principal Architect: Steven Holl
Associate-in-Charge: Martin Cox
Project Architect: Noah Yaffe
Project Team:
Cosimo Caggiula
Alessandro Orsini
Mechanical Engineer: Transsolar Climate Engineering
Matthias Schuler
Structural Engineer: Robert Silman Associates
Nat Oppenheimer

Steven Holl arcspace features

November 28, 2005





				Features
		Competition winner Steven Holl Architects Herning Center of the Arts Herning, Denmark The Herning Center of the Arts unites, for the first time, three distinct cultural institutions: The Herning Art Museum, the MidWest ensemble and the Socle du Monde. Sketch courtesy Steven Holl The new Center, intended to be an innovative forum combining visual art and music, includes permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, a 300 seat auditorium, music rehearsal rooms, a restaurant, a media library and administrative offices. Sketch courtesy Steven Holl Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects Steven Holl’s design proposal arises from a fusion of landscape and architecture and aims at “building the site.” In transforming a flat field, a new inspiring bermed landscape of grass mounds and pools conceals the parking and service areas, while drawing focus onto reflecting pools positioned in south sun. Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects Gallery spaces are simple, orthogonal and finely proportioned for art. Overhead curved roof sections transport natural light into the spaces and internal gallery walls of lightweight construction are movable, providing flexibility of movement in anticipation of changing exhibition and functional requirements. Sketch courtesy Steven Holl The curved roofs are made of stress skin structures comprised of carbon fiber strands within a resin matrix. The undersides of the painted white textured surface of the roof structure are visible from within the interior spaces. Roof stability is ensured through the introduction of thin rods within the window mullions that act as tension elements to counterbalance uneven forces over the center support, like a see-saw tied down on either side. Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects “Green” rooftops are covered with a thin layer of “sedum’” which is possible due to the advanced improvement in rooftop mesh fabric technology. The fabric theme is carried throughout the elevation in the textured white fabric of the concrete walls. Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects The aerial view of the new building bares a striking resemblance to a collection of shirtsleeves. Other “green” aspects of the design including a geothermal HVAC system and grey water recycling, set this apart as an exemplary design for 21st century museum architecture. Drawing courtesy Steven Holl Architects Ground Floor Plan Drawing courtesy Steven Holl Architects Section Building site: 12.000 square meters Total area: approx. 6,750 square meters Estimated construction start: Fall 2006 Partners: Herning Art Museum, Ensemble MidtVest, Socle du Monde Builder: Herning Center of the Arts Project Foundation Architect: Steven Holl Architects Principal Architect: Steven Holl Associate-in-Charge: Martin Cox Project Architect: Noah Yaffe Project Team: Cosimo Caggiula Alessandro Orsini Mechanical Engineer: Transsolar Climate Engineering Matthias Schuler Structural Engineer: Robert Silman Associates Nat Oppenheimer Steven Holl arcspace features November 28, 2005