CRONHAMMAR MUSEUM
2021
In the spring of 2021, I was fortunate enough to begin an internship with one of my heroes—a great man, and one of Denmark’s most renowned artists—Ingvar Cronhammar. At our first meeting, he told me frankly that he wasn’t looking for an intern, but that he was happy to meet me and offer a few encouraging words. Still, I had come prepared—with my portfolio and an idea for a possible collaboration.
My proposal was to develop an imaginary architectural project, where everything from the structure to the smallest details—columns, door handles, and lighting—would be designed from scratch in close dialogue with him. The idea wasn’t intended for actual construction, but for reflection; the final result would be a series of drawings and a catalogue of ideas.
As we talked, a bottle of red wine was opened, and the conversation gradually drifted into stories about jazz, travel, and shared experiences. By the end of the evening, Cronhammar had changed his mind. He invited me to return the following week.
At our second meeting, he took me for a drive in his Audi. He wanted to show me around Herning and Birk. Eventually, he pulled over, looked at me, and asked if I would draw the proposal for what he hoped would become his legacy—a mausoleum.
To formalize the internship with my school, I was connected with his close friend and architectural collaborator, Niels Povlsgaard. Over the next six months, I structured the development of the mausoleum proposal week by week, ensuring we produced the necessary visualizations, texts, and diagrams to support future fundraising efforts.
While the mausoleum was my main focus, I also assisted with a few side projects, including redesigning an oil lamp into an LED fixture for Forum in Skejby.
About a month before the end of my internship, we were finalizing the last touches on the proposal. Cronhammar had just pointed out ten small revisions he wanted made to the PDF. I had everything ready the following week—when I received the most devastating news from Niels: Ingvar had passed away during the night.
Everything came to a halt. Understandably, the work paused, as Niels, the family, friends, and I all needed time to process the loss.
It was a remarkable time I had with Ingvar and Niels, and I sincerely hope the project will one day realize its full potential and be shared with the rest of Denmark.
R.I.P. Ingvar Cronhammar