future nordic concrete architecture.pdf

8/13/2019 Future Nordic Concrete Architecture.pdf

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FutureNordicConcreteArchitecture


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Introduction

Throughthe20thcenturyconcretehasbecomethemostusedbuildingmaterialintheworld.Theusageof

concrete

has

led

to

a

new

architecture

which

exploits

the

isotopic

properties

of

concrete

to

generate

new

shapes.Despitetheconsiderableamountofconcreteusedinarchitecture,theconcreteissurprisinglylittle

visible.Oftenconcreteisonlyusedasthematerialfortheloadbearingstructuresandafterwardshidden

behindotherfacadematerials.

Butconcretehasabigunexploitedpotentialinordertocreatebeautifulshapeswithspectaculartextures

onthesurface.Thispotentialhasbeenexploredthroughanumberofbuildingswhichcanbecharacterized

asconcretearchitecture.Inthiscontextconcretearchitectureisdefinedas:

- Architecturewhereconcreteisusedasadominatingandvisiblematerialand/or- Architecturewhereconcreteisexpressedthroughthegeometry.

Inthefollowing,anumberofprojectscharacterizedasNordicconcretearchitectureispresentedtogether

withadescriptionoftheepochsofthehistoryofconcretearchitecturetowhichtheybelong.

NordicConcreteArchitecture

InScandinavia,conditionsdifferentfromthemostotherplacesintheworldprevail.TheNordicclimate

causessignificantchangingweatherconditionsduringthe4seasons.Thisresultsinsignificantfewerhours

withsun.Addtothisthatthesunstandslowintheskyespeciallyinthewinterseason.Thisconditionhas

hadgreatinfluenceonthearchitecturecombinedwiththeculturaldevelopmentinScandinavia.Thestyle

ofbuildinghasalwaysbeeninspiredoftheneighboursinthesouthbutalwayswithalocalinterpretation

andtheusageoflocalbuildingmaterials.

ConcretehasnotplayedabiggerroleintheNordicarchitecturecomparedtoothercountries.ButspecialabouttheNordicconcretearchitectureisamongotherthingsthedistinguishedusageofconcretewitha

specialfeelingfortheinteractionbetweenthedetailandthewhole.

Fig.7:Concretewallcastagainstroughwoodenboards.Themodernwhitereinforcedconcrete


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TheexhibitioninStockholmin1930wasanimportanteventfortheNordicarchitectureandespeciallyfor

theusageofconcrete.Itmarkedashiftfromtheclassicisminthe1920stothemodernism.IntheNordic

countries

the

modernism

was

called

functionalism

first

of

all

the

architecture

should

be

functional,

and

everythingthatdidnotservethepurposeofthebuildingshouldberemovedandthearchitecturecould

therebybereleasedfromearlierstyles.Thecharacteristicsofthisperiodwerethepureoftenwhite

paintedsurfaces.Thereforethisstylewasalsoreferredtoasthewhitestyle.

Concretewasanintegratedpartofthefunctionalism.Earliertheconcretehadnotbeenpopularamong

architectswhoclaimedthatconcretewasmissingsymbolicvalueandaculturalhistory,butinthisnew

styleconcretebecameveryinteresting.Althoughwhitepaintedconcretewastheaim,alotofthebuildings

wasactuallybuiltinbricksandplasteredwithmortar,andthenwhitepainted.Butthewhitepainted

concretesurfaceswereconsideredthemosthonestexamples.

BesidethegreatSwedisharchitectErikGunnarAsplundwhowasleadingarchitectontheexhibitionin

Stockholm,SvenMarkeliusanotherSwedisharchitectstoodbehindanumberofinterestingworksfrom

theperiod.AmongthesearetheTekniskaHgskolansStudentsHousefrom1930andtheconcerthousein

Helsingborgfrom1932.

Fig.8:SveaplansHighSchoolfrom1936inStockholm,Sweden.Anexampleofabuildingfromthefunctionalism.InDenmark,thearchitectsMogensLassen,VilhelmLauritzenandArneJacobsenweresuccessfulinthenew

style.ArneJacobsensBellavistaandBelevueTheaterismasterpiecesfromthisperiodjustinthespiritof

theidealsofwhite,cubicbuildingswithwhitesurfaces.AndwhereArneJacobsenprobablywasmost

inspiredbytheGermanarchitectWalterGropius,MogensLassenwasmostsuccessfulintranslatingthe

ideasfromLeCorbusierintoaNordicversion.Thiswasevidentthroughanumberofonefamilyhouses.

InNorwayitwasprimarilythearchitectsArneKorsmo,OveBangandKnutKnutsenwhointroducedthe

functionalisminarchitecture.AmongthebuildingsisVillaStenersenfrom1939byArneKorsmoandthe

EkesbergRestaurantbyLarsBackerfrom1929,situatedbeautifullyonahillsidewithagreatviewover

Oslo.


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OveradecadeAlvarAaltowasthemostinternationallyrecognizedarchitectinFinland.Someofhisworks

represented

a

Finnish

version

of

the

functionalism.

Among

these

are

the

Sanatory

in

Paimo

and

the

library

inViipuri.VillaMaireawasconsideredaFinnishcounterparttooneoftheinternationalmasterpiecesinthe

modernism;LeCorbusiersVillaSavoye.VillaMaireaalsomarkedashiftinAaltosarchitecturetowardsa

morelocalandorganicarchitecture.

Thebrutalconcrete

AsacontrasttothepurewhitearchitectureademandforamorehonestarchitecturecameafterSecond

WorldWar.Thisnewarchitecturewascharacterisedbyemphasizedstructuresandrawsurfaces.This

periodwascalledthebrutalismandconcreteplayedaleadingrole.Theconcretewasoftenexposedand

untreatedcastagainstroughwoodenboardswhichresultedinaveryroughtextureintheconcrete

surfacewitharichnessinthedetailsofthesurface.

InDenmark,especiallythearchitectsFriisandMoltkeadoptedthisnewusageofconcreteanddevelopeda

localDanishversionofthebrutalism.AnexamplesofthisisaschoolinEbeltoftinDenmarkwherealmost

everystructureandeverysurfaceisuntreatedconcrete.AlsoHotelLakolkonRmfrom1966isworth

mentioningwhichatthattimewasalmostchokinglybrutalbothoutsideandinsideofthebuilding.

Fig.9:SchoolinEbeltoft,DenmarkbytheDanisharchitectsFriisandMoltkebuiltin1968.AlsoGugKirkefrom1968inAalborgbyIngerandJohannesExnerandthecollegefrom1967inHolbkby

thearchitects

Gerdth

Bornebusch,

Max

Brel

and

Jrgen

Selchau

is

brilliant

examples

of

how

concrete

can

givethearchitecturebothweightanduniformity.Thisisespeciallyachievedbecauseoftheabilityofthe

concretebothtobethebuildingmaterialforthemainstructuresandatthesametimetheaesthetic

surfaces.TheVikingshipmuseuminRoskildebytheDanisharchitectErikChristianSrensenisaverygood

exampletodemonstratethisabilityofconcrete.Hereyoucanseethepowerfulconcretestructureswith

roughanduntreatedsurfaces.


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Fig.10:HighSchoolinHolbk,DenmarkbytheDanisharchitectsGerdthBornebusch,MaxBrelandJrgenSelchaubuiltin1967.InNorway,itwasespeciallythearchitectsKjellLundandNilsSlaattowhodevelopedaNorwegianversion

ofthebrutalism.AmongtherepresentativeworksisSt.Hallvardchurchwithpowerfulstructuresin

concretewithinfillofredbrickworkandtheNorwegianStudentsocietyinOslo.AlsoGratangenChurchby

thearchitectOskarNordervalwheretwotriangularshapedconcreteslabsraisetotheairisamasterpiece

oftheperiod.

InFinland,thedominatingarchitectwhousedtheconcreteroughanduntreatedwasAarnoRuusuvuori.

Especiallythroughseveralchurchesheusedconcreteasthedominatingbuildingmaterialandwitha

distinguisheddetailinginthefacadewheretheverticalpatternsfromthewoodenboardsusedinthe

formworkemphasizedthehorizontalityofthebuildings.ThisisalsoshowninHuutoniemichurchfrom1964

andJrvenpchurchfrom1967.Intheseexamplesconcretehasbeenusedasatotaldominatingmaterial

bothinsideandoutside.

InSwedentherough,untreatedconcretesurfaceswasntusedasoftenasintherestoftheNordic

countries.Anexceptionisthelibraryfrom1967inNorrkpingbythearchitectStenSamuelson.

Organizedconcreteelements

TheindustrialisationreachedtheNordiccountriesinthelate1950sandasasolutiontothealarming

needforhousing,amassproductionofbuildingcomponentwasstartedjustlikeintherestofEurope.

Thiscausedademandforstandardisationofbuildingcomponentswhichcouldbeseeninthearchitecture

thefollowingyears.Thearchitecturebecamerationalandwithoutvariation.

Concreteelementswereakeytothisnewarchitecture.Almostidenticalconcreteelementscouldbeused

forfloors,wallsandroofwithoutfurthertreatment.Furthermore,theycouldbeproducedfastandcheap.

Butwhatseemedlikeaverygoodideainthefirstplaceslowlychangedtowardsmassivecriticismofthe

hugehousingcomplexesandtheconcretewaspointedouttobethevillain.Eventhoughitwasntthe

concretesfault,theconcretewasinalongperiodafterwardsmainlyusedasaconstructionmaterial

coveredwith

other

building

materials.


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Eventhoughthefocuswasonthetrivialhousingcomplexes,theperioddidhavesomeverygoodexamples

ofconcretearchitecturewhereconcreteelementswereusedmoreinterestingly.

TheNorwegianarchitectErlingViksjwassuccessfulinusingconcreteelementsasthedominatingbuilding

materialforseveralworks.AmongtheseisBergenTownHallfrom1974.Hegotapatentonhissocalled

natureconcretewhichwasaproductionmethodwheregravelwasplacedinthemouldandhereafter

exposedusingsandblasting.Amongthemostwellknownworksisagatheringofbuildingshousing

governmentofficesinOslo.

SwedenwasjustliketheotherNordiccountriesdominatedbythemonotonoushousingcomplexes.But

oneofthebrilliantexamplesofinterestingusageofconcreteelementsisBergwaldhalleninStockholmof

thearchitectsErikAhnborgandSuneLindstrmin1979.

InDenmark,thehospitalinHerlevofBornebusch,SelschauandBrelwasabrilliantexampleofpowerful

architecturemadeasanindustrialisedassemblingbuilding.AlsotheRoskildeTownHalloftheDanish

architectKnudMunkisafantasticillustrationofthepossibilitieswithconcreteelements.


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Fig.11:HospitalinHerlev,DenmarkbytheDanisharchitectsGerdthBornebusch,MaxBrelandJrgenSelchaubuiltin1976.Utzonsfloatingconcretestructures

JrnUtzonisprobablytheDanisharchitectwhohashadmostinfluenceonthedevelopmentoftheDanish

concretearchitecture.Hehaschallengedthepotentialofconcreteandcreateduniquearchitecture,and

especiallyhiscreativitywithconcreteelementsisworthmentioning.

ThereareespeciallyfiveofUtzonsworkswhichcanbecharacterisedasactuallyconcretearchitecture.The

firstoneisawatertowerinSvanekeinDenmark.Here,apyramidshapedwatertankisliftedupbythree

slopingconcretelegswhichmakethestructurethinbutyetpowerful.


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Fig.12:WatertowerinSvanke,DenmarkbytheDanisharchitectJrnUtzon.Builtin1952.ThenextoneTheOperaHouseinSydneybecameUtzonsmainworkandprobablythemostfamous

buildinginmodernhistoryofarchitecture.EventhoughtheSydneyOperaHousewasbuiltalongwayfrom

Scandinavia,someoftheinspirationconcerningthesituationplanwasgatheredfromthecastleKronborg

inDenmark.Concerningtheconcrete,especiallytheexpressiveshellsisamasterpieceonitsown.Inside

theyareshapedlikeanorganicribstructurewithuntreatedconcretesurfaces.

IftheSydneyOperaHousewashisInternationalmasterpiece,BagsvrdChurchwashismasterpiecein

Denmark.Againtheroofstructureinconcreteshowssomeofthepossibilitiestoshowtheplasticityofthe

concrete.InthisbuildingthelightisveryimportantbrokendowntothecharacteristicsoftNordiclight.


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Fig.13:BagsvrdChurchinDenmarkbytheDanisharchitectJrnUtzon.Builtin1976.In1982,theKuwaitNationalAssemblywasbuilt.AsintheSydneyOperaHouseitwasmainlyprefabricated

concreteelementswhichwerejointtogethercreatingthelargeconcretestructures.Especiallythe

monumentalcovercreatingabigwavetowardstheoceanisimpressive.Itisstretchingthepossibilities

withconcrete.

ThePaustianfurniturehousefrom1987isanotherDanishexamplewhereUtzonusestheconcretecolumns

tocreatevaryingspacesinsidethebuildingwiththeinspirationfromtheDanishforests.

Fehnssitestorytellinginconcrete


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TheNorwegianarchitectSverreFehnisprobablythemostrecognizedarchitectinmodernNorwegian

historyofarchitectureandconcretewasoftenapreferredbuildingmaterialinhisworks.

ThefirstprojectchosenhereisaveryNordichousebutplacedinVeniceinItaly!ItwastheNordic

pavillionfortheExpo62.Withtheslimconcretebeamsintwolayersthesunlightisbrokendowntoasoft

indirectlightandtherebycreatinganalmostNordicmodeontheinside.

IntheHedmarksMuseumfrom1969,Fehndemonstrateshowconcreteamodernbuildingmaterialcan

interactincoexistencewitholdstonesfromtheMiddleage.WiththeGlacierMuseuminNorwayfrom

1991heshowshowanimportantpartthesiteandthelandscapeplayinhisarchitecture.Bothinshapeand

thechoiceofmaterialshetellsastoryoftherockstheglaciershasformedandleftbehind andhedoes

thiswithconcrete.

Fehnbuiltanumberofonefamilyhouses.AmongtheseistheVillaBusk.Thehouseisbuiltonasloping

rockgroundandconcretewaschosentocreateastrongbaseandabuildingthatcouldharmonizewiththe

dramaticlandscape.

Largescaleconcretestructures

Concretehassincetheendofthe19thcenturybeenwidelyusedinconnectiontolargescalestructuresin

Scandinavia.Thishasleadtoanumberofimpressivelargescaleconcretestructures,andthedevelopment

canbeseeninanumberofbridgestructureswhereconcretehasbeenusedasthedominatingbuilding

material.

AmongthesearetheSvinesundBridgebythearchitectsLundandSlaattoconnectingNorwayandSweden

overtheSvinesundInlet.AnotherbridgeistheBigBeltBridgeinDenmarkbytheDanisharchitectsDissing

andWeitlingin1998,whichisademonstrationofhowconcretestructuresatthesametimecanbebothpowerfulandelegant.AlsotheresundbridgeconnectingDenmarkandSwedenisimpressivewiththe4

almost200metershighconcretetowersinthemiddleofresundwhichistheculminationontheelegant

structure.

Fig.14:TheBigBeltBridgeinDenmarkfrom1998.Newconcreteideals

Exceptfor

afew

projects

the

concrete

is

not

very

visible

in

the

1980s

aperiod

dominated

by

the

postmodernism.Asarebellionagainstthehistoricalviewinpostmodernismthedeconstructivismarose

characterisedbyafragmentedarchitecture.ThedeconstructivismneverreallygetspopularinNordic


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architectureasinotherpartsofEurope,probablybecauseofatobigcontrastcomparedtotheNordic

traditionwhereuniformityandharmonyisabelovedquality.Neverthelessatleastonesignificant

deconstructive

work

was

built

in

Denmark

Arken,

a

new

museum

for

modern

art

by

the

Danish

architect

SrenRobertLundbuiltinconcrete.

Fig.15:ArkenMuseuminIshj,DenmarkbytheDanisharchitectSrenRobertLund.Builtin1996.Inthe1990sconcretearchitecturemakesprogressagain.Thiswasduetoanumberofnewandyoung

architectswhocouldseesomenewpossibilitieswithconcretenotoppressedbythehistoryofconcrete.

Characteristicfortheusageofconcreteintheyearsuptotodayis,thattheconcreteisoftenused

untreated.Thisresultsinanhonestexpressionwheretheproductionmethodisvisibleintheconcrete

surface.Onemightsaythatitisakindofamodernanddistinguishedversionofthebrutalism.

OneofthenewarchitecturalfirmsistheDanishcompanyEntasis.Withthenewheadentranceforthe

ZoologicalGardeninCopenhagentheyshowedthishonestusageofuntreatedconcrete.Inthehousing

complexEmaljehaven

in

Copenhagen

they

use

concrete

elements

that

are

merged

together

setting

new

standardsintheconstructionwithconcreteelements.

Fig.16:Anexampleofnewbuildingsinconcrete.HindemosehusinOdense,DenmarkbytheDanisharchitectSophusSbyebuiltin2006.AlsothehouseforthehippopotamusesinthezoologicalgardeninCopenhagenbyTheDanisharchitectural

firmDallandLindhardtsenisaverygoodexampleofthenewideals.Amodernanddistinguishedversionof

concretesurfaces

cast

against

rough

wooden

boards.


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InSwedenitisthearchitectGertWingrdwhoisexperimentingwithnewpossibilitieswithconcrete.With

thecontroltowerinArlandaAirportheisexperimentingwithdifferentcoloursoftheconcrete.Andinthe

housing

project

Villann

concrete

is

used

untreated

with

smooth

surfaces.

Other

interesting

experiments

wereperformedbytheSwedisharchitectJohanCelsing.IntheofficeofRiksantikvariembetetfrom2008

heusesconcretefacadescastagainstsiliconemouldswithreliefs.

InFinlandthearchitectsHeikkinenandKomonenstandsforarenewaloftheFinnishconcretearchitecture.

ThisisamongotherprojectsillustratedthroughtheEmergencyServiceCollegefrom2005inKuopio.

Nordicconcretearchitectureinthefuture

Architectureofthefuturefacesmajorchallengesbutalsoanumberofnewpossibilities.Digital3D

modellingtoolsareusedamongarchitecttocreatenewadvancedshapeswhicharecharacterisedbythe

digitalarchitectureofthefuture.Still,ahugegapbetweenwhatcanbeproduceddigitallyandwhatcanbe

producedphysicallyexistsespeciallywheneconomyistakenintoaccount.However,thisisonlyamatter

oftimeinanearfuturethegapwillbesignificantsmaller.

Thetechnologiesarealreadyavailableinordertoproduceadvancedshapedarchitecture.AttheDanish

TechnologicalInstitute,arobothasbeeninstalledatoolthatcanbeusedfordigitalfabrication.Also

throughanumberofresearchanddevelopmentprojects,therobothasbeenusedforresearchinnew

digitalfabricationtechniqueswheretheaimhasbeentodevelopnewformworkforconcrete.

FromthenationalDanishprojectUniqueConcreteStructures,thefinalresultwasapavilioninconcrete

designedusingadvancedoptimizationtoolsandproducedusingrobottechnology.Thestructurehasavery

complexgeometryespeciallyintheorganicribstructure.

Fig.17:Concretepavilionfrom2010madeinconnectiontotheresearchprojectUniqueConcreteStructures.TheformworkwascreatedusingtherobotcellatDanishTechnologicalInstitute.Usingrobottechnologyinthefabricationofconcretestructuresgivessomenewpossibilitiestoproduce

complexgeometriesbutalsopossibilitiestomakenewtexturesandreliefstotheconcrete.Thiscanbe

illustratedby

an

experiment

at

Danish

Technological

Institute

where

10

different

concrete

elements

were

producedusingdifferentformworkmaterialsanddifferentmillingstrategiesontherobot.


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Fig.18:ExperimentsinconcreteusingrobottechnologyatDanishTechnologicalInstitute.AlsoasculpturalconcreteelementdesignedbyEsbenKlemannintegratedinthearchitectureoftheart

museumonBornholmisagoodexampleofthepossibilitieswithconcretesurfaces.

Withtechnologiesfordigitalfabricationlikerobottechnologyanewdigitalarchitecturewillbecommon

inthefutureandthedevelopmentintheNordiccountrieswillbeupfront.Asthetraditionhasshowedus,

thisnewarchitecturewillfinditsowninterpretationintheNordiccountries.

Concreteasanaestheticbuildingmaterialwillmostlikelyhaveanevenbiggerroleinfuturearchitecture

thantoday.Thisfloatingrockisanobviousbuildingmaterialwhenthefuturedigitalarchitectureisbuilt.It

isamaterialbothforthefreelyshapedmainstructuresofabuildingandtheaestheticsurfaces.Addtothis

thesustainabilityduetothelonglifetime.Withthepossibilitiesofdigitalfabrication,thearchitectscanlose

themselvesfurtherintothedetailswhicharesocharacteristicfortheNordicarchitecture.ThustheNordic

concretearchitecturewillmostlikelycontinuetointerpretthenewpossibilitieswithNordicpoetryand

distinguishedsenseforboththewholeandthedetail.

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