Kulturhuset Randers

Facts

The brutal culture centre

By Jørgen Smidt-Jensen, Cand.mag. i historie og middelalderarkæologi (2 stories)

Kulturhuset, near Østervold in the heart of Randers, opened in 1969. The culture centre, which has been described as a masterpiece of Danish brutalism" was designed by architect Flemming Lassen. Today, as when it opened, Kulturhuset houses three of Randers' large, firmly established cultural institutions: Randers Library, Randers Art Museum and Randers Cultural History Museum with Randers Local History Archives. It also has a number of meeting rooms and classrooms and a large auditorium. With free entry to the three cultural institutions, and more than 600,000 visitors a year, Kulturhuset is the most visited house in Randers. "

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Heavyweight culture centre

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Story written by Jørgen Smidt-Jensen

Time / Periode 1969

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The sceptical locals of Randers called Kulturhuset a cultural caisson" when the large block of concrete was lowered down onto a plot of land in the heart of Randers in 1969. But by building Kulturhuset, Randers was the first city in Denmark to realise its vision for culture centres – as modern village halls – that had kept a string of ministers of culture busy since the beginning of the decade. The inspiration came from France, where the idea was that culture centres should form the setting for people's activities in the areas of literature, art, theatre, film and evening classes. Originally, a theatre and concert hall were meant to be added to the culture centre in Randers at a later date but the plan sank without a trace and the curtain never went up. "