Herning Library

Herning

GOAL no. 10, 11, 13, 15

A department store from 1968 forms the unpolished setting for the city of Herning’s new library and informal meeting place. With its design and location, the library connects the pedestrian street, the bus terminal and the train station, creating a lively urban setting.

Most of the energy that goes into constructing a building is embedded in its structural elements, and the production of concrete has a particularly large carbon footprint. Thus, the widespread demolition of concrete buildings from the 1960s and 1970s just a few decades after their completion has a heavy climate impact.

Moreover, due to the high cost of land in many cities coupled with intensive urban growth, there are few places where people can go for free and socialize indoors. This exacerbates social divides.

In Herning, a former supermarket from 1968 has been transformed into a new library that serves as an indoor extension of the city’s central pedestrian street while also establishing a direct link to the bus terminal and the train station. Previously, Herning’s library was located on the edge of the town. The new building and its central location have tripled the number of visitors to the municipal library and boosted life in the city centre.

The concrete shell remains behind the new panels of Corten steel and handmade bricks. The original constructions have been stripped back to their raw surfaces and are complimented by exposed technical installations across the ceiling. Apertures have been cut into the deck to let in rays of light, and an open staircase connects the basement and ground level. These solutions create well-lit work, study, and recreational spaces.

The building has LED lighting and heat recovery ventilation, and windows as well as exterior walls have undergone energy renovation.

This project demonstrates how a concrete construction can be reused in a way that brings added architectural value. It also shows how a well-located publicly accessible indoor space can bring people together across social divides.

Project details

Where: Østergade 8, 7400 Herning

Completed: 2014

Client: Herning Municipality

Architects: GPP Arkitekter (main), Kristian H. Nielsen Arkitekter

sØnæs Viborg

GOAL no. 3, 6, 13, 17 sØnæs is a visionary climate project in which the concern for the environment, water purification, climate adaptation, recreation and nature go hand in hand in a waterscape designed as a city park.

Changing climate conditions imply heavier rainfall in Denmark putting growing pressure on wastewater treatment and sewer systems. Paved surfaces in urban areas prevent infiltration into the ground of rainwater, which therefore flows into the limited capacity sewer system. This results in overflow and outlet into lakes and harbours with the risk of contaminating vital natural habitats. Rainwater from urban areas is not clean and should never be discharged directly into lakes, streams or the sea.

The municipality of Viborg decided to expand the wastewater treatment facilities of the urban area by creating a multifunctional park which was given the name of sØnæs (a play on words). A pond purifies runoff from rooftops and roads, which is led through separate sewer systems in Viborg before it is discharged into Søndersø lake.

Parts of the park have a permanent water surface, while other parts are designed to be resistant to flooding. The purification process is carried out by means of sedimentation. The water in the large pond is almost stagnant, which causes sand, particles and impurities to sink. This purifies the water, which can then be discharged into the lake. In case of extreme rain, the water will flow from the treatment basin into several overflow basins, ensuring that the water is always clean before it reaches the lake.

Just as important, the area facilitates water-related sports and playgrounds and shows the public how various water treatment methods, water circulation and natural resources work.

This project combines the need for climate adaptation, wastewater treatment, recreational facilities, climate change education and improvement of nature and environment.

Project details

Where: sØnæs Park, 8800 Viborg

Opening year: 2016

Client: Viborg Municipality and Energi

Viborg Spildevand

Architects and advisors: LYTT, WSP