Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark – Visuals by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

Architecture. Paper art is deeply rooted in Danish culture, from Hans Christian Andersen’s adventurous paperclips to Le Klint’s pleated lampshades. The Museum for Paper Art‘s mission is to carry on this legacy. Danish architecture studio BIG– Bjarke Ingels Group renovated and expanded the museum by creating a lightweight sweeping roof that resembles a folded paper sheet.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

“Paper art is about creating three-dimensional shapes and complex images from a monochromatic two-dimensional material – a sheet of paper,” explains Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director of BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

“By treating the roof surface as a single sheet of folded paper, existing and new functions are brought together in one unifying gesture. The expressive is accentuated by the clear. Complexity arises from simplicity. And an obsolete supermarket finds new life under the floating curved roof.”

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

The project is set to transform a 900 sqm former Aldi supermarket, which currently houses the museum, into a 2,300 sqm cultural destination with space for workshops, events, teaching rooms, storage, and office facilities. Indeed, as the roof lands and drapes over the site and the old building, it also creates new public spaces around its edges.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

“This way, the old and new are connected under one roof. In the foyer and assembly space, the old structure is clearly felt within the new one – a unified space inspired by paper and crafted in wood.” Adds BIG partner David Zahle.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

BIG collaborated with several paper artists to ‘dress’ the existing building with an acoustic-regulating layer of paper art inspired by origami. Inside, surfaces are draped with timber construction, recalling the process of making paper from wood. Large panes of glass connect the roof to the ground.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

A meandering path with plants and trees native to the area invites visitors to explore the surroundings. A pond with stepping stones collects rainwater as it cascades off its sloped surface.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

Founded by psaligrapher Bit Vejle in 2018, the Museum for Paper Art is “the only specialised museum for paper fine crafts and design in the Nordics,” According to BIG.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

All visuals are by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.

Museum for Paper Art by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group in Denmark - Visual by Wizarch, courtesy of BIG.