NORTHERN JUTLAND

A windswept region

Strong western winds are an ever-present companion to architecture and urban development in Northern Jutland where the many agricultural buildings nestle into the landscape for shelter. Northern Jutland is characterized by flat terrain and wide-open land. The sky is high, especially near Skagen and Denmark’s northernmost point, Grenen, the spit where the Skagerrak and Kattegat straits meet in a demonstration of the eternal and powerful force of nature. The region is home to unique sceneries and picturesque coastal towns, from the harmonious yellow-washed market town of Skagen to the more recently established surfer’s paradise in Klitmøller, nicknamed Cold Hawaii.

Further south, the Limfjord strait slices through the region from east to west. On its shores, we find the city of Aalborg and further along the coasts and on the hillsides a wide network of markets towns, ports and villages.

The landscape around the smooth waters of the Limfjord remind us of the crucial role of waterways for historic settlements. The imposing historical ring fortresses near Løgstør and Hobro and the burial ground at Lindholm Høje in the town of Nørresundby are reminders of the region’s Viking past.

From seaweed roofs to big box buildings

In the open land, the main architectural structures are humble farm buildings along with a few manor houses, monasteries and abbeys. Børglum Abbey in Vendsyssel occupies a prominent and unusual location on top of a long ridge. The island of Læsø is home to a unique building type: long whitewashed half-timbered buildings with so-called seaweed roofs thatched with a layer of eelgrass that can be up to several metres thick.

Most towns in Northern Jutland were founded centuries ago and almost all have well-preserved historical town centres. However, Hirtshals and Hanstholm are quite new towns founded during the 20th century. Hirtshals is the result of Denmark’s largest urban planning competition which encompassed the entire town and was held in 1919. During the 1960s, Hanstholm was Denmark’s most modern town it terms of its urban plan. From the 1960s, the Danish welfare society manifested itself in large suburbs surrounding the cities, high-quality social housing developments, distinctive school architecture and town halls and charmless big box buildings along the approach roads to cities and major towns. In this region scenic coastal enclaves were taken over by discreet holiday homes which in many places are beautifully incorporated into the sparse and windswept dune landscape.

A city of smoking chimneys

Aalborg is the region’s main city. In the soil around the city, rich deposits of lime are found close to the surface, and many large cement factories have left behind wide, white lime quarries which scar the landscape.

Today, the ‘city of smoking chimneys’, as Aalborg traditionally was known, has been transformed into a city of knowledge and culture. The harbour front now features recreational areas, student housing, the House of Music, a university campus and the Utzon Centre, which celebrates the world-renowned architect and fellow-townsman Jørn Utzon. The city also boasts Denmark’s only building by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, the grand Kunsten Museum of Modern Art situated in a park-like setting. Today, the cement company, Aalborg Portland, is the only plant from the city’s industrial past that is still in operation. Many of the former production halls and warehouses on the harbour front, such as the former electricity generating station Nordkraft, have been transformed into housing or cultural facilities. The facilities build on local history and help preserve the original industrial character of the place.

Wild and powerful nature

Today, the waterways that used to be a source of life and livelihoods threaten to flood the buildings on the waterfront. This challenge is heightened by more frequent and intense rain events and storms and a need for planning and construction to address climate change through coastal protection and raised quays.

In addition to the long stretches of coast, North Jutland has the benefit of expansive nature areas: Thy National Park, the high bogs Store Vildmose and Lille Vildmose, the Rold Forest, dune landscapes and the island of Fur with its characteristic mo-clay landscape. These fascinating, virtually deserted nature areas provide important habitats for plants and animals. In the future, they will also accommodate energy landscapes with wind turbines and large solar farms. Values and land are at stake in the efforts to protect biodiversity, the climate and cultural heritage.