So Danish Exhibition Unfolds The History Of Danish Architecture From The Vikings Up Until Today

So Danish! – Danish Architecture Center’s first permanent exhibition on Danish architecture.

The exhibition unfolds the history of Danish architecture from the Viking Age to present day and gives you the opportunity to travel into the architecture and understand how absolutely vital it is to our democratic society.

So Danish! is the first permanent gallery at Danish Architecture Center to showcase the history of Danish architecture from the Viking Age to the present day. Architecture has always played a central role in the society, everyday lives and quality of life – and it influences our intellectual pursuits, cultural understanding and common future.

So Danish! features some of the most visionary architects and momentous architecture in Danish history.

Visitors can see iconic masterpieces and lesser-known buildings that have created the Denmark we know today. Get a close-up look at world-class design and functionality. Experience the impacts of architecture on your own body. Discover architecture at various scales, from object, room and building to urban space, infrastructure and landscape architecture. And gain insight into how a new generation of architects is helping to shape the sustainable society of the future.

Early to Present Day Architecture

Diving into thirteen different points in Danish architectural history, the exhibition conveys a wealth of stories about early architecture, wartime architecture such as Viking fortresses, welfare architecture, cities for people, radical design, bicycle culture, climate-centric architecture, and much more.

So Danish! showcases Danish architectural history from the Viking Age to today with a focus on how architecture has shaped the great societal narrative and our everyday lives. Visitors will gain insight into how today’s architects are standing on the shoulders of the generations of architects that came before them. The exhibition also takes in-depth looks into selected periods, architects and projects.

Radical design

Architects seek to shape our world. But some ideas and designs are more radical than others. This strong tradition comes in part from the Danish understanding of architecture as an art form with a responsibility to improve the quality of life of the masses. This view dates back to the 1754 founding of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, which included a school of architecture.

The exhibition presents examples of world-class Danish design by internationally renowned architects. Guests can also experience an installation that shows Arne Jacobsen’s total design for the SAS Royal Hotel, learn more about Susanne Ussing’s and Carsten Hoff’s building principles from Thylejren (Thy Camp), and get the full story of how Jørn Utzon’s famous roof for the Sydney Opera House came to be.

Sensing architecture

Through immersive film experiences, the exhibition invites visitors into six selected buildings based on drone film footage that impacts the body as much as the mind – giving guests a visceral experience of what it is like to stand in the middle of Grundtvig Church, hover above the Icefjord Centre in Greenland, or look out from the top of the Forest Tower. Throughout the exhibition, audio guides allow you to listen to stories about Danish architecture and the buildings that create the framework for our lives.

So Danish! explores how architects today are building a society on the planet’s terms.

But sustainability is a complex challenge. The exhibition features examples of how younger and more established Danish architectural firms are working to create a new sustainable and regenerative society. By discovering more about new materials and aesthetic, functional and artistic trends, guests gain insight into the new genera-tions’ efforts to create the buildings, urban spaces and homes of tomorrow.