ARoS Aarhus Art Museum has unveiled As Seen Below –The Dome, a permanent installation by American artist James Turrell that forms the centrepiece of The Next Level, the museum's expansion designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. Conceived as the largest Skyspace ever realised within a museum, the project extends Turrell's long-running exploration of light and perception through an immersive underground environment.
Located beneath the museum, the installation occupies a circular domed chamber measuring 40 metres in diameter and approximately 4,000 square metres in area. At its centre, a large oculus opens directly onto the sky, framing an ever-changing composition of light, colour and atmosphere that becomes the work's only moving element.
Photo: Mads Smidstrup © ARoS, 2025. From James Turrells visit in As Seen Below, June 2025.
The experience begins before visitors enter the chamber. A naturally lit underground passage gradually transitions into the main space, where Turrell's carefully programmed lighting subtly alters the perception of the sky. Designed to be experienced particularly at sunrise and sunset, the light sequences shift throughout the year, intensifying the dialogue between natural daylight and artificial illumination while continuously redefining the apparent depth, colour and scale of the opening above.
Photo: Mads Smidstrup © ARoS, 2025. From James Turrells visit in As Seen Below, June 2025.
As with Turrell's previous Skyspace works, the architecture is deliberately restrained. A continuous circular bench lines the perimeter of the dome, directing attention towards the oculus while encouraging visitors to remain seated and observe the slow transformation of the sky. The space recalls the spatial clarity of the Pantheon, reinterpreting the relationship between dome and opening through a contemporary architectural language in which perception itself becomes the primary building material.
Photo: Mads Smidstrup © ARoS, 2025. From James Turrells visit in As Seen Below, June 2025.
Delivering the project required a series of bespoke engineering solutions, including an automated mechanism capable of sealing the oculus with a movable element covering approximately 100 square metres. The system allows the balance between daylight and artificial light to be precisely calibrated, enabling different perceptual scenarios throughout the day and across the seasons.
Photo: Mads Smidstrup © ARoS, 2025. From James Turrells visit in As Seen Below, June 2025.
As Seen Below – The Dome marks the completion of The Next Level, ARoS's long-term masterplan to expand its exhibition spaces below ground while strengthening the relationship between the museum, the surrounding city and the landscape. Alongside Turrell's installation, the project introduces a new gallery and a public plaza, extending the museum's public presence within Aarhus.
The installation joins Turrell's internationally recognised Skyspace series, a body of work developed over more than five decades that uses architecture to heighten awareness of light and perception. Rather than presenting an object to be viewed, As Seen Below – The Dome invites visitors to experience the sky itself as a constantly evolving architectural and sensory phenomenon, shaped by changing light, weather and the passage of time.
Photo: Mads Smidstrup © ARoS, 2025. From James Turrells visit in As Seen Below, June 2025.
Cover image: Mads Smidstrup © ARoS, 2025. From James Turrells visit in As Seen Below, June 2025.
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