Original use
Culture/leisure/tourism/museum
Current use
Culture/leisure/tourism/museum
Architects
Erik Christian Sørensen
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
Beams are the horizontal load-bearing elements of the frame. Columns are the vertical elements of the frame and act as the building’s primary load-bearing element. They transmit the beam loads down to the foundations.
State of Conservation
Description
This museum dedicated to naval archeology celebrates an important chapter in Viking history: the intentional sinking of five Viking ships, built in different countries including Norway and Ireland, to block the sea access to Denmark’s former capital, the town of Roskilde. These five ships were discovered in 1957, and their exhibition motivated the construction of the museum. The construction to expand the museum in the 1990s uncovered nine more large vessels from the same period, which were incorporated into the museum's collection, cementing the institution’s importance.
The building is the result of a competition held in 1963. The winner was Erik Christian Sørensen, with a proposal that ties in the naval artifacts with the landscape: the structure sits directly on the water, while a huge picture window frames the fjord. Thus, the ships inside are related both to the sea and to the sky, and their profiles, as seen from the water, seem to float in the fjord.
Undoubtedly, the most remarkable aspect of the architectural design is the care with which the imposing structure of exposed concrete is adapted to the needs of the ships, while also clearly expressing its structural principles through the superposition of beams and joists. The architect’s sketches reveal the delicate development of the design, in which the structure determines the building’s appearance while adapting, with the support of a conscientious exhibition design, to the shape and position of the ships. The drawings also show how the visitor routes help interpret the value of the ships, putting them into relation with the landscape. “V”-shaped skylights bring light into the building from overhead, enhancing the overall ambience.
The building is under threat to be demolished
Denmark
Vindeboder 12
Sjælland [Zealand] (Region) 4000 Roskilde Fjord
Commission
1967
Completion
1969