Loop Architects ApS

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due

VIKING FORTRESS BORGRING EXPERIENCE CENTER

Loop Architects

ARCHITECTS
Loop Architects

DESIGN TEAM
Loop Architects

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Lytt Architecture

ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > OTHER
Viggo Madsen

GENERAL CONSTRUCTING
Enemærke & Petersen

MANUFACTURERS
DAMPA, Troldtekt, Areco, Burntwood, DS Stålprofil, Give Elementer, Velfac

PHOTOGRAPHS
Jacob Due

AREA
2000 m²

YEAR
2025

LOCATION
Køge, Denmark

CATEGORY
Cultural Architecture, Museums & Exhibit

English description provided by the architects.

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due

At the Viking Fortress Borgring, history and landscape are brought to life through an experience center inspired by the Viking Age's characteristic longhouses and royal halls.

The experience center is designed by LOOP Architects, with LYTT Architecture and engineering firm VIGGO MADSEN as sub-consultants.

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due

VIKING AGE BROUGHT TO LIFE AT BORGRING

Denmark has a total of five preserved Viking ring fortresses.

One of them, the unusual and spectacular Borgring, which stands out in the landscape, is now interpreted through the newly inaugurated experience center.

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due

The 2,000 m² center houses exhibitions, a center for Viking studies, an event venue, and visitor services.

Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by a large opening in the building's facade, drawing the eye through the entrance and further, via expansive windows, toward the Borgring fortress in the surrounding landscape.

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due

THE DARKNESS OF THE VIKINGS

The building's facade and central arrival space are clad in black, charred reclaimed wood.

This material directly references Viking-era building techniques, both in scent and texture, and demonstrates a traditional method of wood preservation used by the Vikings.

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due

At the same time, the dark, alluring, and fascinating atmosphere associated with the Viking Age is conveyed.

THOUGHTFUL ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH

The roof surface, which shelters the building's reclaimed wood facade, also functions as solar shading.

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due

The overhang creates a covered outdoor area for groups to gather.

The building's compact form contributes to its energy efficiency, with technical spaces logically placed to help define its distinctive profile.

Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
© Jacob Due

The project is constructed as a light and flexible steel system, minimizing material usage and allowing for easy disassembly and reuse.


Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
Site Plan
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
Section - Exhibition
Viking Fortress Borgring Experience Center
Concept

Loop Architects ApS
T +45 26 22 12 99
Loop Architects ApS
Paradisgade 4c, 1 sal, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark