Henning Larsen Architects: Umeå Art Museum

The large, open halls of this new landmark in Umeå University feature an ingenious load-bearing system, which allows for natural light to pour into the space, creating views of the surrounding landscapes.

Henning Larsen Architects has completed the new Umeå Art Museum, a set of volumes that has become a landmark in the new Arts Campus at Umeå University, Sweden.

Comprising three exhibition halls placed on top of each other, the museum's large square halls are free from load-bearing structures, apart from four supporting "legs" that create an outer, narrow gap towards the façades. This is a niche that allows for light to pour into the space and merge with artificial light. The niches also allow for natural breaks from the museum context, allowing for views of the nearby river, city and surrounding landscape.

The four "legs" that support the exhibition spaces harbour all vertical movement — elevators, stairs, pipes and ventilation ducts. The museum's entrance and foyer span across the three lower levels and comprise a museum shop, a children's workshop and an auditorium. A partly triple-high room serves to connect the spaces.

The façade features vertical louvres in Siberian larch, such as other buildings at the university's Arts Campus, supporting a verticality that is only broken by the large windows and the glass floor in the centre. The museum connects to the local district's heating system and features maintenance-free materials.

Henning Larsen Architects, Umeå Art Museum, Sweden 2012

Henning Larsen Architects: Umeå Art Museum

The large, open halls of this new landmark in Umeå University feature an ingenious load-bearing system, which allows for natural light to pour into the space, creating views of the surrounding landscapes.

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