CULTURE HOUSE RISBJERGGÅRD, HVIDOVRE

CULTURE HOUSE RISBJERGGÅRD, HVIDOVRE

In the middle of Hvidovre town centre lies the culture house Risbjerggård. In 2018, Vandkunsten won the competition to develop the overall masterplan for the area and, together with WSP Danmark and AIX Arkitekter AB, the studio is behind the design of the new culture house and theatre.

The new architecture connects to the old farm building via a curved linking wing that serves as an arrival and lounge area and gathers the house’s other functions: theatre, meeting rooms and shared facilities. The large, transparent glass façade opens towards a timber orangery that is experienced as a warm, inviting space and makes the role of the culture house as the town’s meeting place clearly visible.

In front of the main entrance unfolds a striking circular square. It is not merely a forecourt, but an urban space in its own right: a geometrically precise meeting point, framed by two quarter-circle concrete benches, produced by Aarhus Cementfabrik, and a clear spatial edge. The square communicates through its form – the architecture intuitively guides visitors towards the entrance.

The integrated light lines in the benches create decorative, indirect surface lighting that subtly defines the seating area in the dark. The low-level, warm lighting highlights the circular geometry of the square and supports a sense of safety and clear orientation in the evening hours.