Kronborg Castle, which stands guard over the narrowest part of the Øresund, is regarded as one of the most important castles in Northern Europe and as such was added in 2000 to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.  The castle is famous as the setting for Shakespeare's play Hamlet in which it was known as Elsinore.  Beside the castle is this former shipyard complete with dry-dock.  In 2004 the Helsingor city council initiated plans to convert the shipyard into a cultural centre sympathetic to the World Heritage status of the site.

The architects say of the development that, "Particularly striking, when viewed from the seafront and Kronborg Castle, is the multifaceted façade. ....



... Like a fragmented, yet strongly coherent structure, the enormous glass and steel façade challenges the historic site and stares unflinchingly across the strait that separates Denmark and Sweden.  ....



... The façade encloses the yard in a distinctive atmosphere, as the dazzling and dramatic play of lines generates a sense of spaciousness. Although the façade is made of hundreds of lines and triangles it appears as one big volume, generating a sense of place and time. The volume also takes the environment into account, as the façade not only functions as an aesthetic architectural feature, but also as a climate shield, reducing the energy demand for cooling and heating of the building."