New exhibition at DAC: Recycle!

Press contact

Johanne Troelsgaard Toft, Senior Press Officer
jott@dac.dk
+45 6142 1927

In a time of climate crisis and an urgent need for resource awareness, an important question arises: How can we increase the conservation, reuse and transformation of what we already have?

This question is at the heart of Danish Architecture Center’s new exhibition, Recycle!, which opens on April 11. For the first time, DAC presents an exhibition that brings together architecture, design and everyday life around a common theme: recycling and reuse – not just as a necessity, but also as a new way of creating, living and building. 

Every day in Denmark and around the world, kitchens, single-family houses, and large buildings are torn down – often long before they have lost their usefulness. Concrete, brick and wood are scrapped as if they were consumer goods, and replaced by entirely new materials. However, there is a growing resistance to this “throwaway” culture. Many can see the value of reusing buildings and materials, both to limit carbon emissions and to take care of the Earth’s resources.   

The exhibition zooms in on this positive cultural change, which is taking root in the construction industry and throughout society. It presents a new approach to architecture, seeking to conserve that which already exists and reuse what we once would just throw out. Together, we are creating a circular society where we live and build in much greater balance with the planet we inhabit. 

“We have to challenge the idea that new is always better. The building sector is one of the world’s largest consumers of raw materials, as well as one of the largest producers of waste. It’s about taking care of what we have already created, rediscovering the value of the things we usually throw out, and using it – again and again. It’s not about making sacrifices, but rather creating in a new way, finding a new fondness for things, and perhaps even preferring things that you would have otherwise overlooked or rejected,” says Senior Curator Victoria Diemer Bennetzen, who has chief responsibility for the Recycle! exhibition. 

Conserve and love what is already here 

The first thing that exhibition guests encounter is a sculpture made of old office furniture and discarded technical components such as wires, pipes, and cables – things that we don’t typically view as having any value. Here, these items are put in the spotlight to show reuse and recycling in a new light.

Today it’s not just about saving historical buildings, but also about rethinking how we use materials and updating our notions of beauty and value. We must do more than just conserve the things we already hold dear. We need to transform and update – and thereby bring new value to that which already exists. And perhaps we also need to change our views on beauty? 

The exhibition presents examples that surprise and inspire. Take the Peder Lykke high-rise building in Amager, for example, which might be conserved just for its ability to store CO₂. Or a massive war bunker in Hamburg that has been transformed into a green and lively urban space. A purely theoretical project invites guests to imagine how deserted mink farms in Denmark might gain new life as knowledge centers for materials, where worn-down sheds filled with cages stand as an honest reminder of a common history. 

There are stories of transformation. Of places we would prefer to forget – which instead become something meaningful and beautiful. 

One of the most tangible and moving examples in the exhibition is a 1:1 section of facade from Børsen – the old Copenhagen Stock Exchange, which was seriously damaged from a fire in 2024. Today, this iconic work of architecture is the site of one of the biggest rebuilding projects in Danish history. Get a first-hand look at the careful craftmanship. Discover everything from historical masonry and sandstone ornamentation to carpentry techniques with 139-year-old pinewood and birch bark. Here, visitors can also see the original materials and the special mortar that is bringing a national treasure back to life. 

Beauty in reuse 

The exhibition also presents a series of projects where recycling is not just a compromise, but a conscious choice. Architects and artists are experimenting and creating spaces that bring new life to what would otherwise end up as waste. Although it is often more expensive and challenging than building from scratch, recycling holds the potential for a special beauty: the well-worn, the unique, and that which conveys a story. 

The exhibition presents examples of this special beauty to clearly illustrate the unique aesthetics and approaches in recycling. Thoravej 29 in Copenhagen’s Northwest District, originally built for the fur industry in 1967, has now been transformed into a modern collective office space for creative and social initiatives. In the process, 95% of the original materials have been reused — for example, sections of the concrete floor have been cut out and tilted down to form new stairs. 

In Aarhus, the TRÆ building shows a new way of building high-rises. With its 20 stories, it’s Denmark’s tallest wooden building and emits just a quarter of the carbon that a concrete high-rise building would produce. The facade is clad with recycled windmill blades, corrugated sheets and mailboxes, where rust and spots become beauty marks in a playful architecture.  

And at Kancellihuset at Fredensborg Castle, the Royal Couple have given an old workshop building new life with recycled materials, which not only have a practical function, but also carry remnants of the past – a kind of “recycled soul” in a blend of aesthetics, sustainability, and a unique calm. 

An exhibition that ignites the senses and spurs reflection
Stroll through an organically-shaped pavilion made of reused waste materials. A 3D-printed experiment where architects explore new materials, shapes, and circular building techniques. See a kitchen cabinet made of salvaged construction waste. A reminder that even the most disposable part of our homes can gain new life. Step into the sound installation where Amalie Smith’s song, “Song of the Planet”, invites you to reflect on the state of the world and the responsibility we share with the next generation. 

The circular society 

These changes are not just about materials. They are also a matter of people, habits and everyday life. Repairing instead of throwing out. And thinking collectively instead of individually, so that the changes are seen as valuable. 

The exhibition gives a first-hand look into two DESIRE projects, which are part of the EU’s New European Bauhaus, uniting sustainability and aesthetics in the development of tomorrow’s urban environments. Here, local residents are involved in transforming their residential areas – from Høje Taastrup to Riga – and a new sense of ownership arises as they gain influence. Exhibition visitors can also play a game that shows how citizens can help shape the circular society. The game is based on the Ziepju Street 11 housing project in Riga, Latvia, where a formerly abandoned apartment complex has become a lively community with a focus on functions, personal relations, and quality of life. 

Another example found at Recycle! is the European citizens’ initiative, HouseEurope!, which works to make conservation rather than demolition and new construction the norm. The initiative has collected thousands of signatures and sparked debate in many European countries, and exhibition visitors can become part of the movement.  

For children and families
A dedicated children’s section of the exhibition invites young visitors to explore the world of recycling through play and creative tasks. On weekends and during holiday periods, children and adults can build with mini bricks, print graphic patterns with old screws, and guess materials hidden inside boxes using their hands.  

Circular exhibition practices
As part of DAC’s Green Attraction certification, Recycle! has been registered down to each individual screw, so that everything can be traced and reused. The exhibition fixtures are made from previous DAC installations, and mattresses, podiums and signs are also recycled. Even an installation from the past exhibition “Water is Coming” by the architect practice MAST has gained new life as a poetic rest area. 

This exhibition was developed by Danish Architecture Center with the support of the philanthropic association Realdania, the Augustinus Foundation, the Beckett Foundation, the Dreyer Foundation, the Danish Ministry of Culture, and Desire – Designing the Irresistible Circular Society 

Thank you to our partners and contributors
AART Architects – Amalie Smith – Atelier for Byers Rum – BARK Rådgivning – Bikubenfonden - BoBedre – Carmody Groarke - Celina Grabowski – Danica Ejendomme – Dansk Erhverv – Design Museum Gent – DETBLÅ – DOMEA – DTU – Frederik Hedely Jansen – Hahn Lavsen – Hampus Berndtson – HouseEurope! – Ikano Bolig – Jespersen Nødtvedt – Kongehuset – Københavns Kommune – Leif Hansen Arkitekter – Lendager – Louisiana Channel – LYTT architects – MAST – Natural Material Studio – Office Kim Lenschow – OLALA – Os Arkitekter – Øst for Paradis – Philip Lütken – Pihlmann architects – ReCraft Design Studio – Simon Sjökvist – Signe Wenneberg – Søndergaard Nedrivning – Søren Jensen Rådgivende Ingeniørfirma – Tegnestuen LOKAL – TERROIR – Tscherning – Vandkunsten – WOHN A/S 

Scientific texts in the exhibition were developed in collaboration with Simon Sjökvist based on his doctoral dissertation at the Royal Danish Academy and Cobe. 

For more information, contact:
Johanne Troelsgaard Toft
Senior Press Officer
Tel.: +45 6142 1927
E-mail: jott@dac.dk 

About the exhibition
Title: Recycle!
Location: Danish Architecture Center (DAC), Bryghuspladsen 10, 1473 Copenhagen K
Exhibition period: April 11–September 10, 2025
Exhibition opening: April 10, 4:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Press photos: Available from April 10, 2025 at www.www.dac.dk/en/press
Read more: www.dac.dk/en/exhibitions/recycle