Press Information
September 2006

Cultural Centre in Old Shipyard in Front of Kronborg

Back to the future: New and old architecture meet in interesting combinations in Helsingør. The City of Helsingør has chosen a young architectural office in Århus for its Culture Yard project on the former shipyard site next to Kronborg Castle.

A shipyard is to be transformed into a cultural centre. Contemporary architecture is to be mixed with historical buildings. And the immediate neighbour will be Kronborg Castle. That is some of the elements in the development of one of the most significant urban regeneration projects in the history of Helsingør. The former shipyard area between Kronborg Castle and the city centre will be the site of the Culture Yard, an internationally oriented culture centre embedded in the local area.

Already in summer 2009, the conversion of three existing buildings on the waterfront with a total floor area of about 9,000 m² will be completed. These historic buildings are to form the framework for a modern central library, a large multipurpose hall, exhibition galleries, conference rooms, workshops, museum facilities and a café. The long-term vision is that an entire urban area featuring an active culture and knowledge environment is to develop on the former shipyard site.

- With the establishment of the Culture Yard, the City of Helsingør unites and expands its cultural institutions and other culture-related activities in the city's historical hub: the harbour. The Culture Yard will be a cultural power centre and a modern-day successor of the busy shipyard once located on the site, Mayor of Helsingør, Per Tærsbøl says.

Culture Port Kronborg
The Culture Yard is part of a grand development plan of the areas close to Kronborg Castle and the urban harbour areas in the Port of Helsingør. The entire area is in the process of extensive urban regeneration and revitalisation, within the framework of the Kronborg Culture Port Project. The project redesigns the landscape around Kronborg, underlining the castle visually and recreating historical fort structures - in a modern design. The purpose is to highlight Kronborg Castle's as an international world heritage site and establish a lively outdoor area between the city, the harbour and the castle. Furthermore there are plans to establish a new Maritime Museum in a former dock next to the Culture Yard. All together, these projects are to transform the harbour and the shipyard area into a new culture site, where urban life can unfold in an inspiring setting - indoors as well as outdoors.

A Meeting Between Design and History
As part of a large integrated cultural area, the Culture Yard is seen as the place where cultural history meets modern cultural expressions. This is also the core idea in the design of the cultural centre, made by the Danish architects AART.

- We want to underline the historical qualities of the site and at the same time create a truly modern design, says Torben Skovbjerg Larsen, from AART.

The office is known for its insightful and visionary architecture, which takes its starting point in Nordic architectural traditions. AART and was chosen amongst 87 entries in an open, international design competition that was concluded May 23, where the Danish minister of Culture, Brian Mikkelsen, presented the first prize.

Further Information
Culture Yard Process Coordinator Christian Pagh
Tel.: +45 4928 3629 or (mobile) +45 2531 3629
Email: cpa64@helsingor.dk
The website www.kulturvaerftet.dk contains additional information about the Culture Yard. You can also download the competition brief as well as high-resolution press photos in .jpg format.