Location: Allinge, Denmark.

Architect: Arkitema s & Professor Christoffer Harlang.

The Hammershus Visitors Centre on the Danish island of Bornholm was designed by Arkitema Architects and Professor Christoffer Harlang, based on the original vision of Danish architect Jørn Utzon. The centre was designed to be discreet and blend in with the surrounding landscape, while also providing modern facilities and direct views of the Hammershus Castle Ruin, the island’s largest tourist attraction. The building was placed on a hillside opposite the ruin, with a roof terrace that follows the topography of the hilly landscape and provides a natural grandstand for visitors. The roof terrace is made of oak planks and provides a panoramic view of the ruin, meadows, forests, and the Baltic Sea. The building’s facade facing the ruin is covered with glass windows, while the rest of the building is made of cast-in-situ concrete and local oak. The building’s design uses only three main materials to create a discreet and easy-to-understand structure. The visitors centre also features a light pillared bridge that provides visitors with new perspectives and further viewpoints in the landscape. The bridge is made of slim black steel with a local oak walkway on top, matching the roof terrace. The Hammershus Visitors Centre provides visitors with a down-to-earth, yet unique, welcome to both Hammershus and the impressive scenic landscape.

Photo credit: Arkitema Architects/Christoffer Harlang, Jens Markus Lindhe.