Locally rooted cultural centre

The new Harbour of Culture in Gilleleje is a new cultural meeting place for the town’s citizens, which has, in fact, come into being following a close dialogue between the locals and Skovhus Architects.

The complex houses the local library, the cinema Gilleleje Bio and a restaurant. The building also serves as a base for the town’s clubs and associations. Moreover, the cultural centre is suited to many different types of cultural events thanks to its flexible layout, for example small talks can be held on the large stairway. 

The venue is characterised by the rawness of the interiors, with high ceilings and rooms blending into one another. Moreover, the transition between the inside of the complex and the outdoors is weakly defined, giving the venue an inviting feeling of down-to-earthness. The Harbour of Culture is situated next to a large complex of shops and residential units, and is intended to be seen as a harbour where you dock and meet up with other people.

Carefully selected materials

Inspired by the robust materials from which harbours are constructed, the architects chose concrete and wood for the floors and decking both inside and outside the Harbour of Culture. The rustic surfaces lend a textural quality to the building, while its facades which are clad in wood lamellae combined with glass and concrete create a lively and open facade on a suitable scale. The upper floor of the library has beautiful oak flooring, and the fixtures and fittings are specially designed to tie in with the architecture.

The result is a relaxed and informal atmosphere which is perfect for relaxation and concentration. The Troldtekt acoustic panels on the ceilings have been chosen for their acoustic properties, which is very important in this very open building. In and around the cinema, black Troldtekt acoustic panels have also been used on the walls, emphasising the cultural centre’s raw and informal nature.