James Turrell's monumental artwork, The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell, is now expected to open in 2026, according to the City of Aarhus, the developer of the project. The decision marks the next phase in the realisation of one of the most ambitious art projects in ARoS' history.
As the client, the City of Aarhus has initiated a new solution for the completion of The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell. This is due to the previous bankruptcy of the original supplier of the lid for The Dome and the need for a new tender. The matter will be discussed in Aarhus City Council on Tuesday 10 June 2025.
The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell is one of the most ambitious art projects in ARoS' history. The planned solution means that the project can now be completed with the necessary technical and artistic quality, which is crucial for the future operation and importance of the work. Museum Director Rebecca Matthews explains:
"ARoS has had a good and ongoing collaboration with the City of Aarhus, the client, and we support their decision to postpone the opening of The Dome until 2026. The chosen solution with a specially designed lid is an integral part of the artwork and developed in close collaboration with James Turrell's studio and enables a sustainable and secure future for the artwork - both artistically and operationally. We now look forward to the building being completed and realised in accordance with the municipality's plans and James Turrell's vision," says the museum director.
The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell will be the largest Skyspace in the world in a museum context. The work is a sensuous and deeply engaging installation where the sky is experienced as a meditative, mutable space. The custom-designed lid is an integral element of the work and will ensure optimal conditions for experience, operation and maintenance.
The first stage of ARoS' historic museum expansion The Next Level will take place on 20 June with the inauguration of a new underground gallery, the Salling Gallery. The Next Level is a historic museum expansion that expands ARoS' exhibition areas by 20% in the form of a new underground gallery, an outdoor Art Square and the monumental artwork The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell.
Video: Schmidt Hammer Lassen
This sublime work of art is created by James Turrell, a pioneering figure in the Light and Space Movement, and will mark the largest Skyspace within a museum context. In its scale, magnitude and quality The Dome is an extraordinary work unparalleled anywhere else in the world.
The museum expansion also offers a public art square and a new, subterranean galleri: a dedicated space for annual contemporary commissions. The gallery will be unique in Denmark in providing a dedicated space for artists working with film, video, installation, and performance to create site-specific works at formative moments in their careers.
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
The project has been under development for more than 10 years and from the very beginning involved a vision of adding a new artwork to the ARoS collection by an artist working in large scale to create unique environments.
Three museum directors – Jens Erik Sørensen, Erlend Høyersten, and Rebecca Matthews – have contributed to the concept and realization of the project with Schmidt Hammer Lassen as architect and consultant in close collaboration with Aarhus Municipality as building owner and developer.
Skyspace Lech, 2018 Photo : Florian Holzherr
The Dome,
A Skyspace by James Turrell
The Dome, a Skyspace by James Turrell is a vast work of art consisting of a circular indoor space extending to 16 metres in height and 40 metres in diameter.
1 / 3 Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Your journey to The Dome will start on ARoS Level 3, taking you down a long light filled corridor forming a sensory prelude to entering the monumental installation. Turrell’s distinctive lighting will wash the entire domed space and frame the endless sky, seen through the large central aperture. The Dome is a collective experience driven by light and the poetry of seasons to emphasize our relationship to nature, the sky, and our shared planet.
About James Turrell
In the 1960s James Turrell (b. 1943) introduced a completely new art form. By manipulating light rather than paint or sculptural material, he introduced an art that was not an object but an experience in perception. He examines the very nature of seeing. He is one of the most groundbreaking artists of our time and the creator behind some of the world’s largest and most spectacular artworks.
James Turrell. Photo: Morten Faurby
Often James Turrell works with the so-called Ganzfeld effect, which occurs when the entire retina is stimulated by uniform light so that it becomes impossible to define one's surroundings. In James Turrell's context, the term can be seen as a poetic reminder of the conflict between human rationality and emotions.
James Turrell, Milkrun III, 2002. Courtesy ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum. Donation from Kirsten & Palle Diges Fond. Ole Hein Pedersen (TBC)
James Turrell has exhibited his work at art museums around the world, and his monumental and immersive installations can be found in more than 26 countries. Turrell’s light installation Milkrun III (2002) has been part of ARoS' collection since 2004.
Follow the latest development on @arosartmuseum
The Next Level is realized with generous support from
- The Salling Foundations
- The Carlsberg Foundation
- A private anonymous donation
- The City of Aarhus
- ARoS Aarhus Art Museum