Working from the premise of “What acoustics are to a concert hall, light is to a museum of art"; Aalto initially designed the building in collaboration with Danish architect Jean-Jacques Baruël in 1957. The museum then opened 1972 and has since housed an important collection of international modern art comprising Marc Chagall, Asger Jorn, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol amongst others.  Making extensive use of natural light with strategically positioned skylights and moveable internal walls, KUNSTEN's open design and unique Aalto features, such as the tailor-made copper lights, doors and door handles, continue to stand the museum as a defining example of modernist Nordic architecture.

 

Under-going months of meticulous preservation and restoration by Erik Møller Architects, the project also presented the ideal opportunity for the museum to expand and develop new exhibition spaces to facilitate more immersive and contemporary forms of art and installation without encroaching on any of Aalto's design.  In contrast to the naturally light, stringent white marble clad Aalto galleries, a new lower ground 600m2 “Black Box” has been designed to offer a more raw, industrial space that can be flexibly transformed into different types of exhibition areas - irrespective of natural daylight. Ideal for new media integrated artworks, interactive installations and exhibitions that require a specific atmosphere, the new facilities are set to offer a more experiential approach to visitors and, therefore, enhance KUNSTEN's position as a world-class contemporary art museum

 

As part of the revitalisation, the popular outdoor KUNSTEN sculpture park has also been more effectively integrated into the overall flow of the museum to offer a more cohesive indoor/outdoor experience.

 

Aligning its iconic design with the newly created spaces, the museum will reopen in 2016 with a radical presentation of the KUNSTEN collection that will display specifically designed scenography fused with Aalto's architecture in new and innovative ways.  The exhibition will feature internationally renowned modern artists along with works from famous Danish artists such as Asger Jorn, Wilhelm Freddie and the Cobra painters. 

 

Getting There
With less than two hours flying time from the UK, Norwegian offers direct daily flights from Gatwick to Aalborg from £47.50 including tax per person.

Using the new direct flights from London Stansted to Aalborg with Airnavia, it's now even easier to soak up the atmosphere of North Jutland, which brings together outdoor adventures and Viking history with blue seas, big skies and lots of good seafood. The new year-round flight service will begin in May 2016 with direct flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and prices starting from as little as £5/one way.

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