inital reflection of Utzon's design

While the Silkeborg museum remains unbuilt, the design itself has pushed the boundaries of modern architecture and introduced a new standard to architectural style internationally. Utzon’s design shows his interest and exploration into the use of non standardized geometric shapes and structures in his design, which can also be seen through his design of the Sydney Opera House and the Kuwait Embassy.
Utzon’s use of contrasting linear structures above ground and curved structures below ground give the museum a much more encompassing and natural feel to building which is unusual but still conforms to the concept of blending the building into its surroundings. As the main focus of Utzon’s design was to allow the viewers to feel more involved and connected to Asger’s painting and sculptures, the hollowed out caverns and entwining ramps create a feeling off discovery as the viewers are required to ‘travel’ through the museum and view the artwork in their own time and order.
The use of light was evidently a principal idea in the building’s design. The amount of skylights, especially in the cavern-like rooms, show how Utzon considered the importance of lighting to the feel and atmosphere of the building. The ability to change the lighting from natural sunlight to a spotlight creates the possibility of changing the viewer’s experience of Asger’s artworks.
While the design for the Silkeborg museum is somewhat complicated, I believe that this was required to emphasise the experience and feel of Ager’s artwork.