Eskilstrup Kulturhus

A Living Laboratory for Radical Ruralism

Eskilstrup Kulturhus is a long-term architectural, social, and governance experiment - a living laboratory for our Radical Ruralism methodology. The project explores how rural cultural infrastructure can be reimagined when architecture is rooted in local histories, community ownership, and biobased, place-based building practices.

Located in a 1908/1931 former forsamlingshus on Nordfalster, the project seeks to revive a historic social building typology while testing new models for rural development: heritage stewardship, local fabrication, circular construction, and barrier-free civic participation.

A Catalytic Beginning

The initiative began when architect Kathryn Larsen purchased the dilapidated building to prevent its demolition, stabilize the structure, and create the conditions for a community-driven future. The property was later transferred into collective ownership through the newly founded non-profit, Venner af Eskilstrup Kulturhus, ensuring that the house would never again be vulnerable to speculative pressures.


This move - architect as steward, not owner - established the foundation for a new model of rural cultural development.

Field Notes

A glimpse into Kathryn Larsen’s field notes after purchasing the Eskilstrup Forsamlingshus - documenting gables, textures, archival traces, and vernacular patterns that guide all spatial and material decisions in the project.

A Community-Embedded Process

Unlike conventional top-down kulturhus projects, Eskilstrup Kulturhus is built through embedded practice:

  • over 300 local residents engaged

  • intergenerational workshops and co-creation

  • open heritage mapping

  • volunteer-led prototyping

  • student-driven research and in-situ experimentation

The process is as important as the final building: every phase tests how cultural infrastructure can be shaped with communities rather than delivered to them.

A Testbed for Biobased and Place-Based Construction

Working with DIS Study Abroad, Artelia, and local craftspeople, the project functions as a research platform for:

  • biobased envelope renovation

  • hygrothermal performance of historic buildings

  • low-carbon architectural detailing

  • circular and adaptive reuse

  • rural building typologies

  • material narratives tied to local ecology

It is one of the few rural cultural projects in Denmark that merges academic research, architectural practice, and community-led development into one continuous loop.

Vernacular Observations

Uncovered wallpapers revealed dandelion motifs - historically linked to women’s liberation within the Danish Arts & Crafts movement for their resilience. This vernacular symbolism later inspired the community mural by Kongstad Studio, painted in lime as a modern continuation of the house’s craft legacy.

Governance as Design

Radical Ruralism defines governance as a design material. The Kulturhus operates with transparent structures, published referater, community decision-making, and a model that treats residents as partners - not end-users.

The project is now supported by foundations, regional institutions, local businesses, and a growing volunteer base, demonstrating that collective stewardship can outperform traditional cultural development models.

A Replicable Model

Eskilstrup Kulturhus is not just a renovation project.


It is a prototype for how small towns across Europe can activate their heritage, form new alliances, and build cultural infrastructure through shared ownership, local agency, and architectural care.