ADEPT respectfully refurbishes listed building to house new ’Sonoruos Museum’

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In the listed ’Radio House’ of Copenhagen, by renowned Danish Architect Vilhelm Lauritzen, the Danish National Museum has recently re-opened its vast collection of historical musical instruments. The elegant modernistic building from the 1950’ies have gone through an extensive refurbishment, respectfully carried out to emphasize the unique character of the listed building’s materiality and detailing. ADEPT was commissioned to refurbish the space by adding four musical spaces, each tailored to a specific instrument.

The grafical clarity in the sound space for brass instruments - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Image © Laura Stamer

In close collaboration with Creo Architects and Niras Engineers, ADEPT developed a concept that includes four delicately detailed sound spaces as part of the collection’s educational program. The four sound spaces known as ‘The Sonorous Museum’, were refurbished in great respect of the original building, showing a classic approach that preserves the original design intentions, yet adding contemporary life and modernity to it.

Natural light is filtered through the wooden lamellaes of the sound space for percussion instruments - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Image © Kaare Viemose

The design team has drawn inspiration from the unique architecture of the Radio House. The vision of Vilhelm Lauritzen was reinterpreted in a modern way through a play of colour, pattern and rhythms.

The sound space for strings with its vibrating cassettes - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Image © Laura Stamer

The exhibition design is build up around the guest’s physical movement through musical history – a movement communicated in a delicate balance between exhibited objects and instruments, graphic illustrations and listening stations interacting with the museum guest. The design alternates between glass showcases making the instruments seemingly float in the air and open tableaus showing larger instruments.

An open and transparent exhibition design carefully adapted to the interior character of the listed building - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Image © Laura Stamer

The floating musical instruments - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Image © Laura Stamer

’The Sonorous Museum’ is comprised of four sound regulated studios, acoustically adapted to a specific instrumental group: strings, brass, percussion and mixed instruments. The four spaces are designed as interactive classrooms in order to provide visiting school classes with a hands-on experience of the classical music instruments and their sound spectre.

The sound space for percussion instruments - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Image © Laura Stamer

The four spaces are designed as spatial variations on the same aesthetic theme. Each of the spaces are clad in wood veneer, designed to meet and create the optimal acoustic setting for a specific instrumental group. From the vertical lamellae of the percussion space, the seemingly vibrating cassettes for strings to the graphical clarity of the brass space, the four spaces stands out as both contemporary modern and yet very classic in their expression – as a simple and precise continuation of the intended spirit in Vilhelm Lauritzen’s listed master piece.

Spatial layers showcasing window for visitors to watch performances - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Image © Laura Stamer

The sound space for mixed instruments has integrated steps for visitors and a characteristic Vilhelm Lauritzen pattern - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Image © Kaare Viemose

Details from the wood work in the four acoustic spaces. The detailing of the veneer interacts with each group of musical instruments to create the optimal soundscape. Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Integrated storage and indirect sources of natural light - Sonorous Museum by ADEPT

Facts:
Architects: ADEPT
Collaborators: Creo Architects, Niras
Year: 2014
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Photographs: Laura Stamer, Kaare Viemose