This 'Hidden Museum' On The Danish Coast Is In An Old War Bunker

Dubbed ‘a sanctuary in the sand’, this German World War II bunker on the west coast of Denmark has been transformed into an incredible war museum that delicately respects both the historic building’s natural surroundings and its cultural context.

Created by the famous Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in collaboration with Tinker Imagineers and Varde Musuems, the museum seamlessly blends in with its surroundings. BIG took a sensitive approach to the overall design, choosing to construct a new cultural centre that’s virtually hidden among the sand dunes surrounding it and counterbalances the salient war stories linked to Blåvand.

Director of Varde Museum Claus Kjeld Jensen says: ‘The new TIRPITZ is a portal to the Danish West Coast’s treasure trove of hidden stories. It has been our goal to create a humble, world-class attraction surprising its visitors with new perspectives on the majestic landscape. TIRPITZ is an incredible, one-of-a-kind experience – violent, astonishing, dramatic, hidden – almost invisible.’

Despite being tucked away, the museum stretches across a generous 2,800 square-metre floor plan, which includes four large exhibition spaces within and beyond the imposing cast-concrete bunker. The new addition, however, delicately cuts into the neighbouring sand dunes, with plenty of daylight let into the underground spaces via ribbons of glass.

Project architect Bjarke Ingels says: ‘The architecture of the TIRPITZ is the antithesis to the World War II bunker. The heavy hermetic object is countered by the inviting lightness and openness of the new museum. The galleries are integrated into the dunes like an open oasis in the sand – a sharp contrast to the Nazi fortress’ concrete monolith. The bunker remains the only landmark of a not-so-distant dark heritage that, upon close inspection, marks the entrance to a new cultural meeting place.’

At the heart of the museum is a central courtyard with six-metre high glass panels surrounding the space, letting in plenty of daylight, while the courtyard itself provides access to each of the exhibition zones, which are designed by Dutch firm Tinker Imagineers.

The museum will show a mix of permanent exhibitions and temporary displays, including Army of Concrete, which tells the narrative of those affected by Hitler’s huge Atlantic Wall defence project; Gold of the West Coast – a fascinating insight into the history of amber, presented as a sensory ‘steel forest’, where colours, temperature and sound changes throughout the exhibition. West Coast Stories covers the 100,000-year history of the Danish coastline and transforms into a night-time 4D-cinema every 30 minutes.

For more information on the new TIRPITZ museum, visit the website here.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.