Keld Gydum-IMG 9868 skagen odde naturcenter cropped

The Skagen Odde Nature Centre ( da, Skagen Odde Naturcenter), on the northern tip of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

, is a museum devoted to the effects of sand, water, wind and light. It was designed in 1989 by

Jørn Utzon Jørn Oberg Utzon, , Hon. FAIA (; 9 April 191829 November 2008) was a Danish architect. He was most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia, completed in 1973. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzo ...

, the celebrated architect behind the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

. Under the leadership of his son

Jan Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Num ...

, the centre was completed in 2000."Utzon Architects: Skagen Odde Nature Center"
''ArcSpace.com''. Retrieved 5 October 2011.

Location

The centre is located on Bøjlevejen, some three kilometres north-east of the centre of

Skagen Skagen () is Denmark's northernmost town, on the east coast of the Skagen Odde peninsula in the far north of Jutland, part of Frederikshavn Municipality in Nordjylland, north of Frederikshavn and northeast of Aalborg. The Port of Skagen is ...

, itself 40 km north of

Frederikshavn Frederikshavn () is a Danish town in Frederikshavn municipality, Region Nordjylland, on the northeast coast of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. Its name translates to "Frederik's harbor". It was originally named Fladstrand. The town h ...

. Apart from the nearby radar station, it is the northernmost building in the area, not far from the point where the

Kattegat The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...

and the

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. The ...

meet. The surrounding area known as

Grenen Grenen is a long sandbar spit at Skagen Odde (the headland of Jutland), north of the town of Skagen. Overview ''Grenen'' (The Branch) was named for its shape like a tree-branch, reaching out from the mainland. The beach of Grenen appears in ma ...

, rich in bird life, offers interesting walks along its sandy beaches.

Architecture

As the centre is dedicated to the natural elements which were so fundamental to Utzon's work, it is hardly surprising that he was invited to be its architect. Utzon's idea was that the centre should grow out of nature as a response to the soul, reflecting silence, tranquillity and contemplation, so difficult to find in today's world. The "Desert Fortress", as it has been called, is enclosed by a brick wall, four metres high, which protects the 4,000 square metre activity area from the often stormy weather outside. The grey concrete buildings are topped with black roofing felt. A number of separate pavilions, each with a pyramidal roof and periscope-like skylight, document sand, water, wind and light. Between them are small courtyards, pools and walkways. The balcony on the café's upper floor provides views of the surrounding landscape, covered in ever growing amounts of sand. There is also an observation tower looking out over the dunes. In Utzon's own words: "With its free-standing high walls with their powerful buttresses, the complex achieves the peace and simplicity that bring it into harmony with the grandeur of nature, the surf and the sky."

The museum

The fascinating natural effect of the peninsula inspired the creation of the Nature Centre. Two seas, the

and the

meet at its tip. Then there is the

Råbjerg Mile Råbjerg Mile is a migrating coastal dune between Skagen and Frederikshavn, Denmark. It is the largest moving dune in Northern Europe with an area of around 2 km2 (0.4 mi2) and a height of 40 m (130 ft) above sea level. It is al ...

, a huge moving sand dune,

with its sandy beach celebrated by the

Skagen Painters The Skagen Painters ( da, Skagensmalerne) were a group of Scandinavian artists who gathered in the village of Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, from the late 1870s until the turn of the century. Skagen was a summer destination whose scen ...

and the special light for which

is so famous. The objective of the centre is to allow visitors to see, hear and understand more about sand, water, wind and light. Each of the pavilions presents one of these elements in a special atmosphere created by sound and light. There are special activities for children."Udstillingen"
''Skagen Odde Naturcenter''. Retrieved 5 October 2011. The centre is open from 11 am to 4 pm from 1 May until the third week in October. File:Skagen Odde Naturcenter da 080707.jpg

References

External links

Official site
{{authority control Jan Utzon buildings Cultural infrastructure completed in 2000 Jørn Utzon buildings in Denmark Natural history museums in Denmark Museums in the North Jutland Region Buildings and structures in Skagen Nature centers in Denmark

Location

Architecture

The museum

See also

References

External links