james turrell + schmidt hammer lassen reveal their design for ARoS aarhus museum extension

renderings showing schmidt hammer lassen architects and artist james turrell’s design for the ARoS art museum in denmark have been revealed.

the vast museum project was first announced last year, underlining the extension’s brief to offer new facilities — including a 1,200 square meter subterranean gallery and a semi-subterranean art installation called ‘the dome’.

schmidt hammer lassen completed the initial museum building, and — through this current collaboration with james turrell — the new scheme will offer guests a new visitor experience. both color and light will be introduced into the galleries and exhibition spaces, stretching almost 120 meters below the surface of the dome structure. measuring 40 meters in diameter, the dome is intended to form one of the most spectacular spaces ever built into an art museum.

the extension, named ‘the next level’, will occupy a site perpendicular to ARoS’ current main entrance. a distinctive dome will emerge nine meters from the ground, signifying its presence and its function to hold two underground galleries.

the project plans to connect to the existing building, developing the museum horizontally in contrast to the existing verticality. the design follows the natural flow of the city — from the river, to the square of the aarhus music hall — referencing the main architectural concept of the museum building. a public route runs through the museum, transforming the building into a bridge linking two of the city’s cultural centers. the project combines art and architecture to produce a new civic experience that aims to be complete by 2020.