Hall of Light
A public gallery carved out by daylight
Architecture, Details
·
2018–2022
Hall of Light, Aarhus
About the project
A city gallery for art made on paper needed even, gentle light with no direct sun. We shaped the whole building around five deep light wells that pull soft northern daylight down into every room.
Typology
Public gallery
Status
Completed 2022
Location
Aarhus, Denmark
Client
City of Aarhus
Size
2,400 m²
Site
Harbour front
Partner
Ida Lund
Stair hall under the first light well
The spiral stair to the archive
The concept
Five wells of north light
Each light well is a tall concrete funnel, angled to face north and sized so that sunlight never reaches the walls below. The light that arrives is soft and constant through the day.
Between the wells, rooms step down a gentle slope towards the harbour, so visitors move from bright to dim and back again as they walk through the collection.
The main gallery during an opening
Material and light
Concrete cast in pine boards
The walls are cast in rough pine shuttering, leaving the grain of the wood on every surface. It catches light from above and gives the grey concrete a warm texture.
Door handles, benches and rails were designed by the studio and cast in bronze by a foundry in Jutland.
One day in the living room
Morning
07:00
Midday
12:00
Afternoon
16:30
Dusk
19:45
Night
22:00
Bedrooms and kitchens face east, so the day begins with low, cool light across the walls.
At noon the sun stands high in the south, and the deep roof keeps the living room bright without glare.
In the afternoon the light turns warm and low, reaching across the floor to the far wall.
At dusk the west windows hold the last colour of the sky while the room slowly falls quiet.
At night a few low lamps take over, and the windows turn into dark mirrors of the garden.
Credits
Architect
Clerestory
Partner in charge
Ida Lund
Project leader
Jonas Holm
Details
Elin Strand
Engineer
Aarhus Ingeniører
Contractor
Østjysk Byg
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