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Foto af Utzon Center

Foto: Rasmus Hjortshøj

The Utzon Center is for the entire family. Here, both children and adults can feel, sense and touch architecture. We are here to help you understand a whole world of architecture.

Jørn Utzon is famous for the Sydney Opera House. He grew up in Aalborg. The Utzon Center was his final building, which he completed shortly before his death in 2008.

We present a programme of temporary exhibitions, in which you can encounter some of the best architects in the world and the latest architectural trends. In a fun way, we make architecture accessible and understandable to people of all ages – from children to adults.

We also house a permanent exhibition about Jørn Utzon, the creator of the Sydney Opera House and one of the greatest and most influential architects of the 21st century.

We also organise workshops, lectures, events, educational activities, guided tours and city walks – and an abundance of other activities.

Restaurant Jørn serves outstanding food and offers the best view in town. From its windows you can watch life on the fjord. Our courtyard also makes a perfect setting to enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine or beer.

As an international centre we collaborate with some of the world’s major cultural institutions: from Denmark’s Louisiana to Italy’s MAXXI and the Sydney Opera House.

It was Jørn Utzon who, together with his son Kim, created the Utzon Center. It was to be Jørn Utzon’s final work before he passed away in 2008. So, the building also features elements you can see in other buildings Utzon designed throughout his distinguished career.

The Utzon Center is located on Aalborg’s waterfront – the very place where Jørn Utzon would go for walks as a child.

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Foto fra Utzon

Foto: Rasmus Hjortshøj

The building

Jørn Utzon's hometown, and especially the waterfront in Aalborg, is an ideal location for a building, where Utzon’s distinctive approach to design within both architecture and design is at the center.

About Jørn Utzon
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Foto af Jørn Utzon

Foto: Ole Haupt

Jørn Utzon (b. 1918 - d. 2008) is today the most important Danish architect throughout history. 

He derived his earliest inspiration from foreign architects such as Alvar Aalto and Frank Lloyd Wright, whose organic conception of architecture was of great significance for Utzon's own expressive and sculptural nature-inspired architecture.

The Utzon Archive

The Utzon Archives are the digital archives of the world-renowned Danish architect Jørn Utzon.

The Archives are in the joint guardianship of Utzon Center and Aalborg University. Explore more than 4.700 drawings, sketches, and photos from Jørn Utzon’s private collection. The growing archive registry is available in both Danish and English language. The material is provided for research and educational use only.

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Foto fra Utzon Arkivet
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Foto af Can Lis

Foto: Torben Eskerod

The Utzon Foundation

The Utzon Foundation was established in 2006 in connection with the opening of the Utzon Center.

The Foundation carries only the following two main activities, and all inquiries about Utzon's work and use of his material has nothing to do with The Foundation.

The 2800 m2 Utzon Center, which is rented out to Aalborg University and the Utzon Center. The Utzon Foundation is solely responsible for the building, including its rental and maintenance.

Can Lis was acquired in 2011 with the intention of protecting the house and making it accessible to the public. The Utzon Foundation's managing board is responsible for all activities concerning Can Lis. The Utzon Foundation works with the Danish Art Foundation's Committee for Architecture to select recipients for the working residencies.

View also

The board

Whistleblower policy

Sustainability

Jobs and internships

Volunteer at Utzon Center