Can Lis: Residencies at Jørn Utzon’s house on Mallorca for architects and others

• Architects and others affiliated with the architecture scene.
• Individuals, architecture firms, and groups may also apply.

The Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Architecture wishes to promote the artistic dimensions of architecture in Denmark and Danish architecture abroad. Together with the Utzon Foundation, the committee wishes to provide the possibility for architects and others affiliated with the Danish architecture scene to apply for residencies at Can Lis, Jørn Utzon’s house on Mallorca.

This house is an aesthetic experience and architecturally, a fully consistent building, which - due to the materials used, its location, its unique interiors, and distinctive architectural layout - is the perfect place to spend a longer period fully immersed in one’s work.

The house has just a couple of small bedrooms, and it is generally quite modestly furnished. It is located atop a cliff with no fencing or railings around it. Therefore, we do not recommend bringing small children to Can Lis.

The house is equipped with two broadband modems, but does not have electronic appliances such as a computer, TV, or DVD-player.

Please be aware that the house is not suitable for activities such as painting. If you wish to use tools and materials that could leave permanent marks, please state this in your application, as it will require a special permit.

You may apply for:

• a residency at Can Lis free of charge at a specific available time period
• funding for travel and transport costs related to the residency.

If you wish to apply for funding for travel and transport costs related to the residency, you must state this in your application and attach a budget, listing the expenses that you want covered by a potential grant. Other expenses – such as food, materials etc. – related to the residency is at your own cost. It is not possible able to apply for additional funding for the residency from the Danish Arts Foundation.

Periods available for residencies

You may apply for a residency with a duration of 13 days (corresponding to one period) or 26 days (corresponding to two consecutive periods).

If you want to apply for a residency period of a full 26 days, then be aware that you will have to apply for two consecutive periods, for example period 1+2 or 2+3.

There are a number of open house events throughout the year, wherefore a few periods are not available for consecutive stays.

Please note that there are no periods for 2026 yet. The periods will be published on this page during 2025.

Priority will be given to applicants, who wish to use the residency for research or cross-disciplinary dialogue. Furthermore, projects are prioritised if they plan to communicate the outcome of the residency to the public. Applicants may also choose to give the Danish Arts Foundation permission to communicate the project by stating this in the application.

The overall criteria of assessment, when the Danish Arts Foundation reviews applications is artistic quality. However, as the committee’s funding is limited, they are not always able to support all eligible applications. 

The committee will prioritize applications that displays an intent to create a valuable contribution to the field of architecture and to society in general. The committee will review applications based on the following three criteria for artistic quality:

Reflection:
A fundamental understanding for the context, that you are working in and a considerate and caring approach in relation to the chosen means, the expressions created and the imprint and potential impact that it might have.

Relevance:
A will to create a contribution that is a valuable contribution to the field of architecture, to society in general or provides a new basis for relevant new insights.

Aesthetic understanding:
A fundamental aesthetical understanding and a curiosity for architectural effects and an awareness about how aesthetic experiences are forged. 

If you have applied for grants from the Danish Arts Foundation within the past three years, this information will be accessible for the committee during the assessment of your application.

You must submit your application via our grant portal. We do not receive physical material.
Once you have created your profile on our grant portal, you can enter portal at any time and check that you have included all the required documents and information before submitting the application.

We recommend you to use the browsers Chrome or Firefox when you fill in the application form.

You must attach the following:

• Project description, describing the purpose of your residency – max one page, a page is defined as 2400 keystrokes (PDF or Word).
• CV – max one page - a page is defined as 2400 keystrokes (PDF or Word).
• Documentation of artistic work - max 5 pages (e.g. images).

If you are a group of people wanting to apply for a residency together, each member of the group must submit an application, noting the other group members. Your applications may include identical attachments. If you only submit one application as a group, we will pay the entire grant to the person stated as the applicant.

Please be aware of the following:

• The total size of the attached files may not exceed 25 MB.
• We accept the document formats PDF and Word. We do not accept ZIP files.
• You are able to edit your application until the application deadline.
• Your application must include all the required attachments in order to be reviewed by the committee.

If you are a Danish citizen, organisation, or business and receive a grant, you must have a NemKonto available for the payment transfer. We transfer all grants to the NemKonto linked to the Danish CPR/CVR number you state in the application. If you, for example, apply with a new CVR number, you have to make sure that you have linked it to a NemKonto. You have to do this before a potential grant is awarded.

If you have moved out of Denmark according to the Danish Customs and Tax Administration’s definition, or if you are a foreign applicant, you are able to have a potential grant transferred to a foreign bank account. For applicants with foreign bank accounts, a completed bank information form must be attached, either the form for wire transfers to countries using IBAN or the form for wire transfers to countries NOT using IBAN.

If you receive a grant, we pay the money to your account within 3 weeks after you have received the grant letter.

We report the grant to the Danish Tax Agency, but tax has not been deducted from the payment.

You will receive a response to your application no later than twelve weeks after the application deadline.
You will receive a notification email when your answer is ready on your profile in the Grant Portal.

Throughout those weeks, the committee will read and process all submitted applications. We will publish all awarded grants on our website (in Danish), once all applicants have received the committee’s decision.

The names of all applicants are made public on our website in the committees’ minutes (in Danish).

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a screen receipt which you can download if you wish, but you can always see your application and its status in the Grant Portal under "My Applications".

You will not receive an email receipt to confirm that you have submitted an application.

On your case in the Grant Portal, you can also see the appendices you have attached to the application.
It is your own responsibility that the necessary documents have been attached and sent - so remember to look through your application carefully.

You can edit in an application even if you have already submitted it. As long as it is before the deadline! If you edit in a submitted application, you must again make sure that all necessary documents are included. The committee deals exclusively with the most recently submitted application.

If you need to contact a case officer in the secretariat, write via the contact form on your case in the Grant Portal.

Decisions are made in accordance with section 3(1), cf. (2) and (3) of the Danish Act on the Danish Arts Foundation’s Activities (Act no. 458 of 8 May 2013).

When the Danish Arts Foundation awards grants, it is important, and not least legally required, that the money is used for the purpose you have described in your application. Therefore, you must report on your project to the Agency for Culture and Palaces. How you must report depends on the grant amount you have received. Read more about how to report on your project.

The Danish Arts Foundation’s Committee for Architecture processes the applications and makes the final decision concerning the distribution of the committee’s funds.