The Danish town of Aars wished to replace its existing municipal museum with a new building. The artist Per Kirkeby, who has been working there for 15 years, pleaded for the retention of?the old structure. A 40-metre-long spine now?links the 1935 building with a cubic modern extension and the Himmerland Art Museum (1977), as well as with a former vicarage dating from 1958. Via a tower-like linking structure, the existing entrance provides access to what has been transformed into a flowing museum “wall”, articulated into distinct zones. Annexed to this are the refurbished museum building, the archives and new structures for temporary exhibitions. At its southern end, the ensemble is terminated by two volumes with saddleback roofs. The space housing the prehistoric collection is divided by deeply incised vertical windows. In contrast, art?exhibitions are staged in galleries that are neutrally illuminated via north lights in the roof.