Copenhagen is the world capital of architecture until 2026, but design is everywhere in the country, particularly in this part of Jutland, in the heart of the towns of Vejle, Kolding and Billund.
In Billund, the Lego House by Bjarke Ingels Group
A small brick for man, and so many big projects for millions of children (and adults) since… 1932. Originally imagined by a modest carpenter, the multi-colored construction modules have become a global success. Billund, the birthplace of the LEGO brand. In addition to the first Legoland amusement park, opened in 1968, the city is home to the spectacular LEGO House, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group firm. In this complex made up of 21 stacked or embedded cubes, 25 million bricks are distributed in four thematic play areas to allow children to build their dreams and experiment with their architectural talents. But you can also access the building without a ticket, with the sole purpose of having a coffee at Brickaccino, strolling on the nine furnished terraces and exploring this incredible stack imagined by one of Denmark’s leading architectural firms.
In Vejle, la Fjordenhus d’Olafur Eliasson
Half lighthouse, half dungeon, this building which rises from the water is now part of the identity of the town of Vejle, at the entrance to the fjord of the same name. It is the headquarters of Kirk Kapital, an investment company, but, above all, an example of a work of Art, design and total architecture signed by Olafur Eliasson Studio. Apart from the levels occupied by the company, the first floor houses Lyst, a Michelin-starred restaurant, while the ground floor reveals the works of the Danish artist, visible every day freely and free of charge, or during visits guided tours organized by the Vejle museums. The opportunity to blend into this universe full of curves, arcs and ellipses, with volumes as if sculpted in the enameled brick walls where the light and waters of the fjord are reflected. Waves which will undoubtedly also have inspired the Henning Larsen Architects studio for Bolgen (The Wave), this iconic undulating residential complex on the seafront on the other side of the marina…
À Kolding, le Kubeflex d’Arne Jacobsen
Overlooking the majestic Kolding Fjord, the Trapholt Museum of Art and Design is a bit like the counterpart, in Jutland, of the Louisiana Museum, this masterpiece of Danish modernist architecture north of Copenhagen, on the island of Sjaelland. Although he has the largest collection of chairs in Denmark (more than 500, all from the 20the century), Trapholt is also the custodian of Kubeflex, the summer house of the architect and designer Arne Jacobsen, furnished and equipped with the master’s own creations, and a pioneer in flexible architecture created in the late 1960s This 66 m modular residence2 T-shaped, capable of accommodating a family of four, has long stood on a beach in southern Sjaelland and, for decades, only a few enthusiasts and knowledgeable people knew of its existence. It is today accessible to the public in the museum’s vast sculpture park.
Practical
GET INQUIRED
From the tourist office (Visitdenmark.fr ).
GO THERE
Return flight Paris/Copenhagen, from €135 with Easyjet.com. Return flight Paris/Billung, from €195 with Airfrance.fr.
ORGANIZE YOUR TRIP
With Travel Counter (01.86.95.65.15 ; Comptoirdesvoyages.fr )a tailor-made 15-day/14-night road trip through Denmark, passing through the Trekanten region, from €2,620 per person, flights and car rental included.
DISCOVER
The LEGO House (Legohouse.com). The Fjordenhus (Fjordenhus.dk); guided tour via the city’s museums, around €15 (Vejlemuseerne.dk). Trapholt Museum of Art and Design (00.45.76.30.05.30; Trapholt.dk), guided tours daily, €19.