Bjarke Ingels Group has unveiled design to transform a former supermarket building into the new Museum for Paper Art in the North Jutland region of Denmark.

Named Museum for Papirkunst, the new museum will be an adaptive reuse project by converting an approximately 900-square-metre former supermarket into a 2,300-square-metre museum with space for workshops, events, teaching rooms, storage, and office facilities.

Image © Wizarch

The conversion and extension of the building aims to double the annual number of visitors to the museum and embrace paper as an art form and expertise. 

According to BIG, paper art is deeply ingrained in the Danish cultural heritage, including the iconic folded lampshades by Le Klint and the paper clips by Hans Christian Andersen. The project aimed at adaptive reuse is striving for DGNB Gold or Platinum certification.

The Museum for Paper Art is the only specialized museum for fine crafts and design made of paper in the Nordic region. It was founded in 2018 by psaligrapher Bit Vejle.

Image © Wizarch

The roof is like "a single sheet of folded paper" 

"Paper art is about creating three-dimensional shapes and complex images from a monochromatic two-dimensional material - a sheet of paper," said Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group.

"By treating the roof surface as such - a single sheet of folded paper - existing and new functions are brought together in one unifying gesture." 

"The expressive is accentuated by the clear, complexity arises from simplicity. And an obsolete supermarket finds new life under the floating curved roof," Ingels added. 

Image © BIG

The Museum for Paper Art was designed to be a new type of lightweight roof. The roof unites the new and old under one roof by landing on the existing structure like a single sheet of paper and making room for the new functions surrounding it. 

The outside of the current building walls will be covered in a new layer of origami-inspired paper art that regulates sound, created in partnership with multiple paper artists.

"Paper art is deeply embedded in our cultural heritage, showcased through Denmark's paper art tradition with iconic designs such as Le Klint's folding lamps and H.C. Andersen's paper clips," said Karen Bit Vejle, Artist and Director at the Museum for Paper Art.

"Carrying this legacy into the future is something that this museum has at its heart. We are also proud of recycling an existing building," Bit Vejle added.

Image © BIG

The architecture within the museum reflects the central feature, which is a timber construction made from the same wood that is used to make paper.

"In collaboration with Bit, we have designed a simple concept that allows a single sheet of paper to drape over the site and the existing building," said David Zahle, Partner, BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

"In this way, the old and new are connected under one roof. In the foyer and assembly space, the old structure is clearly felt within the new one - a unified space inspired by paper and crafted in wood," Zahle added.

View from an exhibition. Image © BIG

Numerous public events will have spaces available at the Museum for Paper Art. A winding path lined with locally grown trees and plants will entice people to explore the area and create a warm public space that draws them into the museum.

View from a cafe. Image © BIG

View from a paper workshop. Image © BIG

View from an Auditorium. Image © BIG

Diagram

Diagram

Diagram

BIG's Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, featuring curved roofs, topped out in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. In addition, BIG unveiled design for a group of holiday villas on Japan’s Sagi Island called NOT A HOTEL Setouchi, and 

Moreover, BIG, BNIM, and the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design introduces the Makers' KUbe, an emblem of synergy and progressive design.

Project facts

Project name: Museum for Papirkunst

Architects: BIG

Size: 2,300 m2

Location: Hune

Client: Den Almennyttige Fond for Psaligrafisk Kunst

Project team

Partner-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels, David Zahle

Project Leader: Tomas Ramstrand

Team: Mantas Povilaika, Neele Maree Ohlrogge, Jesper Ullbing, Matthew Goodwill, Kai-Brith Kalda 

BIG Sustainability: Kannan Selvaraj 

Top image in the article © Wizarch.

All drawings © BIG.

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