With hard-sound reflecting surfaces and an open &#;ceiling,&#; the dry dock&#;s acoustics are perfect for dance performances and concerts, but also suitable for other outdoor activities, exhibitions, and events &#; turning the Maritime Museum into a center for cultural life in Helsingor. Through minimal means, BIG&#;s design created maximum functionality and architectural resonance.

BIG was invited for a competition to design a Maritime museum inside the neighboring decommissioned dry-dock, where ships used to be built. Instead, BIG proposed to place the museum underground, just outside the wall of the dock in order to preserve the dock as an open, outdoor display, maintaining the powerful structure as the center of the Maritime Museum. By placing the museum this way, it appears as a discreet part of the cultural environment associated with the Kronborg Castle and the neighboring Culture Yard, while at the same time manifesting itself as an independent institution.