Contrast & Continuity
Cultural Heritage Evaluation of Holstebro Slaughter House Eline Evenstad Dahl Josef Albin Frech Aarhus School of Architecture
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Historical Development Building Descriptions Cultural Historical Value Architectural Values Environmental Values Leading Protecting Values Supplementary Values
Cultural Heritage Evaluation
Holstebro Slaugther House
Historical Development
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Eline Evenstad Dahl
Transformation of Cultural Heritage
Spring 2017
In 1879 Thorborg Christiansen founded one of Denmark`s first butcheries, located in Holstebro, Mid-Jutland. The business relocated in 1930, to the present site, with its first industrial building constructed between 19321933. The years after the Second World War the company needed new ways of growing, resulting in the idea of canned meat production. The now iconic cannery opened in 1960. This became the crowning of the company`s development, with its modern ideals showing off in the building method and facade. Shortly after, in 1963, additions to the Cannery Building South`s facade was made, using the same construction system. Rapid growth led to several additions, with efficient methods and materials, according to related time of construction. The north facade was expanded in 197|. An continuation of the building system, though with a few alterations in proportions, together with a superstructure for storage built in 1973 at the Western facade, the Cannery Building`s original volume changed. The company kept growing with more additions of buildings until the 00’s first decade, closing the factory in 2009. The municipality of Holstebro bought the properties in September 2013.
Josef Albin Frech
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Cultural Heritage Evaluation
Holstebro Slaugther House
Building Description
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Eline Evenstad Dahl
Transformation of Cultural Heritage
Spring 2017
The remains of the industrial complex of Holstebros Sloughter House is rooted in its main building. Centered on a large elongated plot defined by villas to the west, and the railway station to the east. Grounded with solid concrete terasses, made uniform by its clear and displayed construction system, The Cannery Building1, stands out in the landscape by its size and clear volume. The concrete beams2 and slabs, filled with the vernacular red brick and high placed windows3 becomes it`s main motif. The inside is defined by deep production halls with great ceiling hight, connected to service rooms and circulation in the periphery. The spaces is often bound with smaller openings4 and large sliding doors. The majority of walls is covered by brown and white tiles5. In general, corners are rounded and often marked with stainless steel.
Josef Albin Frech
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Cultural Heritage Evaluation
Holstebro Slaugther House
Cultural Historical Values
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Eline Evenstad Dahl
Transformation of Cultural Heritage
The cultural-historical aspect of The Slaughter House is connected to its role as a typical example of a factory made in the mid twentieths century industry, which focused on efficiency and the potential of the prefabricated construction elements. Compared to its time, the main building represented a new direction of architecture in factory buildings, were better work environment and access to natural light conditions were more valued than earlier. The factory is situated in a transit area, adjacent to the railway station, with still visible traces of connection rails on site. This placement, relating both to practicalities of the building process and later in the transport of goods, was typical for large factories. Today The Slaughter House is perceived as an isolated building complex, alienated on a vast plot. The surrounding void becomes a footprint of what once was. The architecture and the landscape displays the remains of a industry of constant change. This is seen in how the area forms a fragmented entirety of building typologies and materials, all related to its past industrial development. The scale and proportions expresses that the place has been mainly used for production and storage. The diversity of materials used and difference of patina in the buildings, states a hierarchy of permanence, with the Cannery Building1 being most rooted in the areas identity. The largest difference between the buildings is visible in the quality and effort put into the materials. The main building stands out in quality of materials, details and its outwards shown ideals. It relates to the vernacular architecture in the use of red brick in the facade, but stands in contrast both to its context and nearby building, because of its size and the industrial look from the visible construction. Overall the building complex is highly shaped by its original function as a Slaughter House. The rational and the functional is expressed both in the exterior and interior. In the facade, its possible to see how the building system follows with the idea of expatiation and alterations, enabling it to follow the market and the economical state of the Slaughter House. Internally this flexibility is read in its plan disposition. Within the constructional grid, the walls were placed based on the needed function, making up a boundless plan. These foreseen
Josef Albin Frech
Spring 2017
changes have over time occurred, were the evolution of time is expressed in a patchwork made out of different materials in the flooring. The layout of the plan is functional based on the factory`s production flow, which was highly defined by machines placed inside the production halls. The building possess a great amount of built-in details, which becomes physical traces of the former production. These details, left as historical tells, from cladding to formal expression, shows its functional purposes, that was related to either optimization of production or maintenance of the building. Visualized in the material is a story of how the building once functioned. Seen in sliding doors connecting the production halls and giving opportunity to transfer great goods between rooms beeing supplemented by large elevators. Also in how the openings in walls was placed to give the possibility of connecting assembly lines and have an overview to the production in the adjacent rooms. The high placed windows was mainly to service the large spaces with daylight, rather than create connection and view. Hygiene and easy cleaning was maintained by covering the inner walls with tiles, other surfaces were plastered and white washed. The defining of edges, columns and openings with stainless steel protected the building from potential collisions caused by transport of heavy goods. The original expression of the building, is to a dominating part, still present in the facade. Even though parts of the original disposition have been altered or replace it still holds the architectural motives of its genesis. This is directly bound to the original windows, the overall concrete grid structure and the use of red brick. The distinct architecture, combined with its historical relevancy for the development of Holstebro city, makes it an icon of a belief in productivity and development. At the same time, the closing and the demolition of large parts of the buildings in the area, has lead to ambiguous connotations. Rapid changes within society lead to fusion and relocation of the Slaughter House to other parts of the region. Today Holstebro is a town focused on culture, which can be seen in how art installations and new activities has taken over the area.
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Cultural Heritage Evaluation
Holstebro Slaugther House
Architectural Values
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Eline Evenstad Dahl
Transformation of Cultural Heritage
Generally the buildings are based within a rational and functional architecture, without excess decoration. Together they express a hierarchy, were the readability of a constantly changed area is represented in the architectural variations within the complex. The hierarchy evolves from the Cannery Building1, were the majority of the architectural values is present. By its constructional simplicity it stands as a good example of industrial functionalism. Visible reinforced concrete elements defines the main structure by columns and slabs. Bricks and large windows becomes the secondary building elements. Original windows with wooden details, is specially dimensioned to fit in the structural grid, creating a direct dialogue between the elements. Together they become piece of architecture with a solid character. The building structure expresses a firm rhythm of repetition both in the horizontal and vertical orientation, where the window placement becomes the unpredictable element. Contrast between the elements is strong, creating a readable facade in terms of its structural and non-structural parts. The terasses surrounding the buildings meets the context and mediates the elevated ground floor. The exposed concrete columns seen in the outer facade, is a grid motive that continues inside, and connects the whole building from the outside to the inside. These architectural elements becomes mediators between the building and its surroundings, and between the interior and exterior. With no overhang from the main roof structure, and internal gutters, a clean form is maintained. The volume ends with a pitched roof structure. Originally symmetric, but turned asymmetric due to expansion. Though formal clarity makes it appear as one unit, the elements dissolves the mass into parts, introducing a temporarity, there by making additions and subtractions possible.
Josef Albin Frech
Spring 2017
The interior spatial disposition is best understood through experience, and has few way finding elements. The openings in the walls dissolves the borders between the spaces. This connection is strengthened by the large sliding doors and the stainless steel openings defining the flow. Few corridors and many large and flexible openings leads to a dynamic movement throughout the building. The rounding of corners and the steep angling of windowpanes connects the different built elements and spaces. The generally high ceiling together with the variation of spatial proportions and large widows, giving the rooms diverse and interesting spatial content. The serial of deep production halls shapes an atmosphere of potential, yet emptiness. Smaller spaces have a particularly distinctive character because of their grand ceiling hight and large windows. Matted window glass and high placement, creates a distance to the outside, making the spaces introvert and focused on the filtrated soft light Consistency through out the building is kept by its repetitive material usage and detailing; The materials with a hard character (concrete, tiles and stainless steel) expresses a coldness, were the different surface tactility forms complex spatial situations. The combination of untreated concrete and glazed tiles, gives contrast. The building therefore possesses a range of spatial situations, from dark and raw rooms, to spaces which appear more lit and sterile. Areas for circulation are given warmer tones of colouring in the materials. The differentiation in colouring shows the focus on activity related to human circulation, by giving it extra care and detail. The colouring creates a contrast to the general motive.
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Cultural Heritage Evaluation
Holstebro Slaugther House
Enviornmental Values
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Eline Evenstad Dahl
Transformation of Cultural Heritage
Spring 2017
The Slaugther House is situated on a large v-shaped lot, defined by its previous connection to the train tracks to the east, and Struervej, a street bordered with smaller department stores and villas to the West. The plot connects to the active city centre of Holstebro towards South, and areas designated to university in North. The old industrial lot is left as a contrasting landmark to its relating context. The remaining building mass is centred and stands as an icon of the industrial activity once present. With a clear North- South orientation, the buildings mass separates the elongated plot in two. Yet one central axis is defined by a passage framed by an elevated extension between the main building, connecting a lower volume on the western part of the complex. With similarities of a wide boulevard structure, the axis maintains the connection between the north and south. A continuous north- south pathway along the train tracks used by pedestrians as an alternative to the active road to the west, connects the context. The open landscape stands as a clear contrast to its surroundings, especially compared with the dense villa quarter. In terms of the built structure there is a graduation of scale: From the large scale main building, contrasting with open area designated to railway, to newer build additions meeting the smaller scale in west. This meeting is also present in the buildings higher level of detailing of brick work towards the active street.
Josef Albin Frech
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Cultural Heritage Evaluation
Holstebro Slaugther House
Leading Protective Values
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Eline Evenstad Dahl
Transformation of Cultural Heritage
Spring 2017
For the local area, the Cannery Building tells the story of a shift into modern industrialization, and stands as an icon. The longitudinal axises and the vertical connection to the Struervej has a strong environmental and cultural historical value. At the exterior the building`s leading cultural and architectural values are tied to its rational and clean cut shape, formed by its elements: The original loading dock, the pre-casted concrete structure, original windows, use of the red brick and its pitched roof. Inside the cultural historical values is bound to the in-build traces of former functionality, as the general use of claddings and defining of corners and openings. Sliding doors, elevators and build in scales have a certain historic value. The bearing architectural values is connected to the rational use and hierarchy of materials, from the untreated concrete to the wooden details. The general exposed structural elements on the inside maintains the overall industrial expression.
Josef Albin Frech
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Cultural Heritage Evaluation
Holstebro Slaugther House
Supplementary Value I
The exposed structure in the ceiling at third floor, together with the columns and their variation of untreated and painted concrete becomes a continuation of the structural and honest architecture.
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Eline Evenstad Dahl
Transformation of Cultural Heritage
Josef Albin Frech
Spring 2017
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Cultural Heritage Evaluation
Holstebro Slaugther House
Supplementary Value II
The depth of the facade is kept to a minimum. Yet delicate variation occur: the South and North wing differs in proportion of pillars. This tells the story of the buildings periodically expatiation
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Eline Evenstad Dahl
Transformation of Cultural Heritage
Spring 2017
Supplementary Value III
The ceiling light orchestrates the drapery of yellow fabric, previously used for filtration of air, shapes an atmosphere particularly different from the general colder expression the building posses.
Josef Albin Frech
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