Archival Studies
SMK 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION — For the new welcome desk at Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst, Archival Studies was encouraged not only to design the desk, but to consider and reimagine the role it plays within the entrance hall. The result is a calming, spatial intervention that acts as both a functional ticket counter and a visual guide for arriving visitors.

Through the application of materials such as wood, textile and eelgrass acoustic panels, the design brings a tactile and inviting aesthetic to the vast entrance hall.

Søuld’s Acoustic Mats FR, made from locally collected eelgrass, are applied throughout the ceiling structure above the desk, contributing both to the calming acoustics and the visual cohesion of the area.

Archival Studies explains:

“For the production and material choices, we wanted to bring something natural, warmly textured, and structurally clear to the otherwise clean, pale, and hard-surfaced entry hall. The eelgrass panels from Søuld were a natural fit - beyond their beautiful dark texture, the material carries a strong Danish narrative and sensory qualities while meeting the high fire-safety regulations of the space.”