Other denominations
Gävle Krematorium [Gävle Crematorium]
Original use
Health/social services/crematorium
Current use
Health/social services/crematorium
Architects
ELLT (Alf Engström, Gunnar Landberg, Bengt Larsson and Alvar Törneman)
Concrete by reinforcement
Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.
To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element .
Construction method
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.
This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength.
Architectural concrete
- textured walls
- wooden formwork finish
- stamped concrete
- exposed aggregate concrete, colored concrete, etc.
Structural types
State of Conservation
Description
This building was designed by a group of recent graduates in architecture who won the competition. The simplicity and clarity of the resolution of the program are surprising, particularly in terms of the constructive details, which, along with the subdued choice of materials and the opportune site selection, contribute to conveying a beautiful emotivity.
Immersed in a pine forest, the repetitive rhythm of the vertical pieces is captured in the texture of the formwork visible in the concrete walls that surround the crematorium. This series of blank walls outlines an enclosure in the middle of the forest, indicating an inside and an outside; it is only broken as required to access the different parts of the program. The enclosure surrounds a series of courtyards that are related to the different public parts of the crematorium.
The building is markedly horizontal in its development. The strict control of the volumes is achieved by situating the facilities and building services on the basement level. Above the concrete walls, two thin wooden roofs seem to levitate. Under these roofs are two chapels, which make up the most representative parts of the program.
Sweden
Skogsljusvägen 1
803 25 Gävle
Commission
1954
Completion
1960