Text description provided by the architects. The Cold War bunker REGAN Vest was kept a state secret for many decades. Now the bunker is open to the public, thanks to the realization of the new Danish Cold War Museum. The building comprises four black boxes hidden deep beneath Rold Skov in northern Jutland, inspired by the decades-long mystery surrounding Denmark’s most secret bunker, nestled 60 meters underground.
The last bastion of democracy- REGAN West is the country’s best-preserved Cold War bunker, built in secret in the 1960s to house the government, civil service and royal household. The aim was to preserve Danish democracy for as long as possible in the event of a third world war, and REGAN Vest was therefore the last bastion of Danish democracy for decades – if the enemy took the bunker, Denmark would fall.
The bunker has been a closely guarded state secret for decades, hidden 60 metres below the Earth’s surface in Rold Skov, and until a few years ago, it was still a secret. But with the opening of the new museum, visitors now have access to the bunker, the original residence of the site’s lighthouse keeper, and a new exhibition building designed by AART, which will create a comprehensive narrative about REGAN Vest, its important democratic function, and the role and lives of Danes during the Cold War.
“The REGAN Vest Cold War Museum is a completely unique place that will create a framework for a story that is very central to Danish history — a story that is still relevant and important today.”
Anders Tyrrestrup / Founding Partner and Architect, AART
Black boxes – On the surface, the reception and exhibition building will be the only visible manifestation of the new Cold War museum. Constructed as four black boxes, the building is hidden deep in the forest. Solid and reclusive, the boxes appear in the landscape as almost hermetically sealed display cases, with only a discreet recess in the facade indicating the museum’s entrance. The boxes are clad in anodized aluminum, giving them their own unique weather-resistant structure. Their appearance plays distinctly with the surrounding landscape, which houses one of Denmark’s best-kept secrets – the 5,500-square-meter nuclear-proof bunker built to house the Danish regent and government in the event of war.
“The boxes do not reveal their contents and arouse the curiosity of visitors upon arrival. In this way, the boxes become part of the complete experience for the visitor — an experience characterized by its distinct mystical and historical secrecy from beginning to end.”
– Anders Tyrrestrup / Founding Partner, AART
The final focal point – The REGAN Vest is tangible evidence of the threat felt during the Cold War and is the final focal point of the museum. At the heart of the reception and exhibition building is a model of the impressive underground bunker. The reception and exhibition building has been constructed so that the flow of visitors is concentrated around the model and from this central area visitors have an overview and easy access to the many features of the museum, including the exhibition sections and the meeting point for guided tours of
REGAN vest.
Perspectives on the Cold War – The reception and exhibition building contains seven exhibition sections that engage visitors and provide different perspectives on the Cold War – from the fear of nuclear weapons to the political fronts and clearly drawn war scenarios in case war breaks out. Everything is staged to create continuity between the individual exhibition sections, while at the same time allowing visitors to move freely between each one and thus create their own experience.
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