ArchDaily · Architectuur

AART Wins Competition for Underground Royal Treasury at Rosenborg Castle

Danish architecture practice AART has won an international competition to design Rigets Skatkammer (The Royal Treasury), a new underground museum extension for Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen. The project aims to create 1,300 square meters of new exhibition and visitor facilities beneath the castle's historic moat.

The winning proposal, developed with VEGA Landskab, Fogh & Følner, and Artelia, will place approximately 600 square meters of exhibition space below the moat, partially restoring the water feature around the Renaissance castle. This extension is intended to enhance the visitor experience for the Royal Danish Collection, which includes the Crown Jewels and historic costumes and attracts over 500,000 visitors annually.

The design draws inspiration from the historic moat, using water to reconnect the castle with its original island setting. Visitors will have distinct paths upon arrival, one leading to the castle and another to the underground museum via the moat. A narrow opening will guide visitors down, creating a transition from the surrounding landscape to the treasury below.

The underground exhibition spaces are designed as a tactile, mineral environment using natural stone, concrete, and metal, referencing Rosenborg's existing character while establishing a contemporary architectural language. The internal conditions are intended to change with the weather, time of day, and seasons, reinforcing the connection between the museum and its landscape.

Commissioned by the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces with funding from several foundations and the Danish state, the project is currently in the competition-winner stage. Other shortlisted firms included BIG, Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter, Henning Larsen, and Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter.

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