REGAN Vest is the winner of the Building of the Year Award 2023
The prestigious Building of the Year Award 2023 in the 'Open' category goes to the Cold War Museum REGAN Vest in Rold Skov south of Aalborg. Troldtekt acoustic panels are used in the design of the newly built above-ground reception and exhibition building.
The Cold War Museum REGAN Vest opened in February 2023 to extensive media coverage. More than 60,000 visitors have already visited the historic site in 2023, which corresponds to around 98 per cent of the museum’s total capacity.
The REGAN Vest Museum has now been named Building of the Year 2023 in the 'Open' category, which is shared with the Maritime Centre in Esbjerg. A total of five winners have been chosen for the 2023 Building of the Year Award in three categories.
The prestigious award was founded by BYGGERI magazine and has been presented every December since 1997. The jury consists of leading architects and top professionals from construction industry organisations, and regarding REGAN Vest, the chairman says:
"The museum has successfully brought light and air into the former claustrophobic bunker facility. The minimalist exhibition areas and glass walls in the atrium provide visitors with a pleasant atmosphere that allows them to explore the story in comfort, says the jury chairperson architect Scott Hollingsworth in a press release and adds:
"Overall, REGAN Vest encapsulates history in a remarkable and authentic way and manages to unite the past with the present. This unique museum is an important contribution to preserving and sharing Denmark’s history and should be recognised as Building of the Year for its significant cultural and architectural efforts.
The new museum was designed by AART Architects.
In addition to receiving the Building of the Year award, REGAN Vest has also just been named Denmark’s best experience in the North Jutland Region by MBM, which is behind the media MigogAalborg, MigogKbh, MigogOdense and MigogAarhus. 83,000 of the media’s users voted for their favourites.
The country’s most secret building
60 metres below ground in Rold Skov lies the country’s best preserved cold war bunker, which was a secret until a few years ago. It was built in the 1960s to house the government, civil service and the Danish royal family in the event of a third world war with nuclear weapons.
Visitors can experience a total of 5,500 square metres of bunker space as well as a new reception and exhibition building. The new addition to Regan Vest is the only visible part of the museum and resembles four black boxes surrounded by forest. Here visitors can learn more about the history, time period and purpose of the bunker.
To preserve the secretive look, the exhibition building uses dark colours and materials. The same applies to the approximately 1,000 square metres of Troldtekt acoustic panels, which are painted black and grey. The acoustic solution contributes to optimal acoustics for visitors and elegantly blends in with the rest of the building’s design.
Honourable mentions for several projects with Troldtekt
In addition to the actual award winners, ten projects have received honourable mentions. In three of the ten, Troldtekt acoustic solutions are included in the design – all three have been honoured in the 'Open' category:
- ENIGMA Museum of Communication in Copenhagen: Zeso Architects were responsible for designing the transformation of the old post office building from 1922. This includes the new Brasserie Post, where Troldtekt line acoustic ceilings in a custom colour were chosen.
- The Kløverbakken co-housing community in Odder: Arken architects designed the co-housing community, which has also been named 'Sustainable Wood Construction of the Year 2022'. Troldtekt is a consistent material in all homes and rooms.
- New extension to Feldballe Independent School: The extension in Djursland was designed by Henning Larsen Architects with extensive use of bio-based materials and a top-notch indoor climate. Troldtekt ceilings contribute to good acoustics in the classrooms.
