Ragnarock Museum, Roskilde Story by GRID System Ragnarock Museum, Roskilde DENMARK’S NEW ROCK MUSIC MUSEUM Story by Cobe DENMARK’S NEW ROCK MUSIC MUSEUM

Ragnarock by MVRDV and COBE

MVRDV as Architects

Ragnarock, a gold-studded, gravity-defying rock museum in Roskilde

 

Ragnarock, MVRDV and COBE’s museum of pop, rock and youth culture in Roskilde, Denmark, stands as an architectural embodiment of rock music which hopes to inspire a new generation of musicians, artists and creative professionals. The 3.100m2 building, complete with colossal cantilever, houses the main museum experience which also includes an auditorium, administrative facilities and a bar.

photo_credit ©Ossip van Duivenbode
©Ossip van Duivenbode

The golden studded building stands as the front-man in a larger 11.000m2 masterplan, ROCKmagneten, which looks to transform the existing cement factories on the site into a district for rock music and youth culture whilst adding three new buildings, the completed Ragnarock, a new Danish højskole and the headquarters for the Roskilde Rock Festival.

 

Ragnarock, designed for the Danmarks Rockmuseum, aims to touch the existing site as lightly as possible with the intention to preserve the raw and informal character of the site which has been, and still is, used by skaters and artists alike. The new structure plugs into the factories, standing on four legs which take visitors up into the museum and auditorium above. A clear divide, identified by a separation in materials, distinguishes the old and the new; raw concrete in contrast with vivid red studs.

photo_credit ©Ossip van Duivenbode
©Ossip van Duivenbode

The combination of materials radiate a rock-like atmosphere; from the golden anodised aluminium studded façade which pays homage to lead singers throughout rock history, to the vivid red interior, reminiscent of a guitar case’s soft velvet inside. “Ragnarock is the translation of rock music into architecture; the energy, the defiance, the statement. Loud and in your face!” says MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs, “It’s not just the looks though. The relationship between Ragnarock and the original halls creates spaces that will breed a new generation of rock stars in a hugely creative environment.” The experience throughout the building takes visitors on a journey into the life of a rock star, combining traditional museum with immersive exhibitions.

photo_credit ©Ossip van Duivenbode
©Ossip van Duivenbode

The red carpet welcome, the rise to fame up to the performance space which hangs daringly in the air, and the inevitable fall down to the bar. “Walking towards the golden building over the red carpet will turn each visitor into a star,” Jacob van Rijs explains about the approach to the museum. Ragnarock itself also becomes an stage; performances can either face the large public plaza on one side, or the refurbished industrial halls on the other. The golden overhang defies gravity in a true rock and roll style and welcomes visitors not only into the museum, but also in the future will act as the entrance into the larger ROCKmagneten masterplan.

photo_credit ©Ossip van Duivenbode
©Ossip van Duivenbode

The social intentions of the scheme open up new possibilities for music creativity by providing an inclusive environment with constant connections between education, leisure and performance. The buildings themselves, led by Ragnarock, inspire but also leave room within the scheme, such as outdoor plazas, to breed creativity through a new social, informal platform. Ragnarock stands out in its environment as a catalyst for future development. Architecture editor Karsten Ifversen described the museum, in the Danish newspaper Politiken, as a modern day cathedral, “This is how cathedrals were built in the past; in unknown areas. You built them in the middle of nowhere and then the city emerged around them.”

photo_credit ©Ossip van Duivenbode
©Ossip van Duivenbode

Ragnarock is the first band member in the new masterplan for the creative suburb ‘Musicon’. The process over the coming years will see new members joining the stage: the rock højskole, a regenerated concrete factory hall marked by a hovering volume; and the Roskilde Festival housing, a dynamic environment accommodating the future students and teachers of the højskole. Both MVRDV and COBE will continue to work on the next phases of the masterplan and look forward to presenting them in the future.

DENMARK’S NEW ROCK MUSIC MUSEUM

Cobe as Architects

Today, a new spectacular museum for rock, pop and youth culture, designed by Danish architects COBE and Dutch architects MVRDV, is inaugurated in Roskilde, Denmark by HRH The Crown Prince of Denmark. The new museum is clad in dramatic golden studs and sits among old warehouses that previously housed a concrete factory in Roskilde, just outside of Copenhagen.

 

Denmark’s new museum for rock, pop and youth culture, called Ragnarock, oozes of rock’n’roll attitude with its golden exterior and velvety red interior.

photo_credit Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV

”Our aim with the design was to translate the special energy, image and attitude of rock and pop music into architecture. The unique building will introduce the audience to the world of rock music in a tangible way. The 20 meter cantilever guarantees to have an physical impact on anybody standing under it or in it - hovering over the ground in the exhibition. It is an homage to rock and pop stars like Bowie, Hendricks and Jagger,” says Dan Stubbergaard, Founder and Creative Director of COBE.

 

Ragnarock is part of ROCKmagneten, a masterplan that COBE and MVRDV won in 2011, which is situated in an area of Roskilde, Denmark, where a concrete factory used to be. Today, the area has been transformed into a creative and cultural neighborhood.

photo_credit Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV

COBE and MVRDV’s idea behind the museum has been to recreate contrast between the two distinct sides of rock music. The interplay between rough and trashy on one hand, but glitzy and spectacular on the other characterizes rock music, and has provided inspiration to the design. Photo: Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio / COBE and MVRDV Dressed in sparkling golden metal studs and sitting on top of old concrete warehouses, Ragnarock embodies this contrast. The building sets new standards for architecture and will become an icon for the city and the Greater Copenhagen.

photo_credit Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV

”The analogy of rock has been carried through into the museum, where the scarlet red interior of the foyer resembles the velvety inside of a guitar case,” Stubbergaard continues.

 

Outside the museum a large red carpet welcomes visitors all year around. The red carpet is a landscape element that not only creates a connection between the museum and the rest of the area, but becomes an experience in itself as it will be activated by music and exhibition elements from Ragnarock.

photo_credit Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV

The museum spans 4 storeys and has a 20 meter cantilever. The building contains a number of public functions such as a large exhibition hall, auditorium, library, recording studios, museum shop, café, workshops, patio and an outdoor music venue. Ragnarock will become an attraction for tourists and Copenhageners alike.

 

Ragnarock opens to the public the 30th of April with free admission throughout the whole weekend. The museum is open every day, all year.

photo_credit Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST Studio - COBE and MVRDV

COBE and MVRDV won the competition for ROCKmagneten and Ragnarock in 2011 with a masterplan transforming the existing Musicon whilst adding three new buildings: the completed Ragnarock, Roskilde Festival Folk High School and the headquarters for Roskilde Festival.

 

COBE and MVRDV continue to collaborate on the realization of Roskilde Festival Folk High School which is set to be completed during 2018.

 

Ragnarock Museum, Roskilde

GRID System as Manufacturers

The golden building that houses Ragnarock is designed by Danish COBE Architects and Dutch architects MVRDV. Continuing inside the museum the extreme colourful sharpness continues in the red foyer.

photo_credit BRAHL FOTOGRAFI
BRAHL FOTOGRAFI

GRID was specified by COBE Architects as interior of the gift shop and foyer area. GRID was customised as black display units, podiums, wardrobe lockers and seatings with special castors and leather upholstery.

photo_credit BRAHL FOTOGRAFI
BRAHL FOTOGRAFI

The wardrobe was tailor made with selected modules standing out from the wall while others had incorporated lightning to illuminate pictures. GRID’s mobility was a high priority and a necessity to make room for events. Centered around pop and rock music Ragnarock Museum communicates the story of the youth culture and the era from 1950’s till today.

photo_credit BRAHL FOTOGRAFI
BRAHL FOTOGRAFI
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