Hiroshi Sambuichi reveals Cisternerne extension in Denmark
Japanese architect Hiroshi Sambuichi and Cisternerne director Astrid la Cour reveal plans for a new exhibition space in Denmark

After Hiroshi Sambuichi’s magnificent 2017 transformation of the existing Cisternerne – an underground exhibition space in Frederiksberg, Denmark – the Japanese architecture master and the venue’s director Astrid la Cour have been working on a new, ambitious plan for the historical site and modern art hub: a permanent extension to the museum’s architecture.
Historical documents have shown a fourth chamber at the Cisternerne site (an underground reservoir system of ancient cisterns, now used to display art), in addition to the three known ones that currently make up the museum. Sambuichi plans to excavate and reveal this newly found space and re-establish a mirrored basin from the mid-1800s on ground level. The basin will be made of glass and work as a transparent roof to this new chamber.
New light-filled chamber for Cisternerne
The sun will fill the underground space with natural light and the lake-turned-ceiling will serve as a pool for children in the summer and a skating rink in the winter. Underneath this water feature, a pond will fill most of the fourth chamber. A large wooden stage and covered gangways will criss-cross the space, creating connections and pathways over the water.
‘For me, this is more than just a beautiful piece of architecture. I want this to serve as inspiration for future sustainable architecture and investigate the effects that a roof made of water will have on the light and the climate of the space,' Sambuichi explains.
Water acts as a natural filter for most of the sun's UV rays and infrared heat, but lets in daylight to the space. How this will affect the plant and animal life in the lower pond is one of the things that Sambuichi hopes to investigate during this building's design and development.
Ventilation and climate control will also be designed as a largely passive, and hence self-sufficient, system. As in Sambuichi’s Inujima Seirensho museum, a tall wind tower will help to circulate cool air around the chamber, minimising the use of more conventional air conditioning and promoting sustainable architecture.
If realised, the fourth chamber will only enhance the appeal of what is currently one of Europe's most spectacular art venues. Meanwhile, the architecture will pay homage to the relationship between man and nature, explored through this meeting between Sambuichi's sensitive design and the natural elements of sun, wind and water.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
INFORMATION
Originally from Denmark, Jens H. Jensen has been calling Japan his home for almost two decades. Since 2014 he has worked with Wallpaper* as the Japan Editor. His main interests are architecture, crafts and design. Besides writing and editing, he consults numerous business in Japan and beyond and designs and build retail, residential and moving (read: vans) interiors.
-
Michael Rider’s joyful Celine debut: ‘I’ve always loved the idea of clothing that lives on’
Presented today in Celine’s Paris HQ, the designer’s astute debut balanced the house’s recent legacy with a fresh, contemporary vision which nodded to his American roots
-
The Richard Mille x Brough Superior RMB01 is a motorcycle with an exceptional aesthetic pedigree
The RMB01 is what happens when horological obsession meets two-wheeled excellence: a Franco-Swiss racing motorcycle that brings out the best in both brands
-
Six modern bathroom ideas for spaces big and small
Here are our best bathroom designs for 2026: colours, curves and a calming ambience are making a splash this season, with tactile and textured surfaces to elevate your shower room
-
Mayumi Miyawaki’s Fukumura Cottage puts this lesser-known Japanese modernist in the spotlight
Discover the little-known modernist architect through this private home in Japan’s Tochigi prefecture countryside
-
A Karuizawa house is a soothing, work-from-home retreat in Japan
Takeshi Hirobe Architects play with scale and space, creating a tranquil residence in which to live and work
-
Naoshima New Museum of Art is a home for Asian art, and a lasting legacy, in Seto Inland Sea
The Naoshima New Museum of Art opens, marking a seminal addition to the Japanese island's renowned Benesse Art Site Naoshima; we explore Tadao Ando's design
-
Behind a contemporary veil, this Kyoto house has tradition at its core
Designed by Apollo Architects & Associates, a Kyoto house in Uji City is split into a series of courtyards, adding a sense of wellbeing to its residential environment
-
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa on harmony, nature and their RIBA gong
The SANAA duo are celebrating their RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 in London today, and talked to us about self-reflection, the year ahead, and the need to create harmony in our environment
-
New book 'I-IN' brings together Japanese heritage and minimalist architecture at its finest
Japanese architecture studio I-IN flaunts its expert command of 21st-century minimalism in a new book by Frame Publishers
-
Giant rings! Timber futurism! It’s the Osaka Expo 2025
The Osaka Expo 2025 opens its microcosm of experimental architecture, futuristic innovations and optimistic spirit; welcome to our pick of the global event’s design trends and highlights
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Ireland is having a moment in Japan
At 2025 Expo Osaka, a new sculpture for the Irish pavilion brings together two nations for a harmonious dialogue between place and time, material and form