At Unidrain, we are well aware of the difficulties involved in renovations. You need to work with what is there, to respect any and all restrictions and protections. At the same time, you need to implement updates that comply with modern legislation and meet today’s demands for comfort. Within our own field, we help builders and architects install modern bathrooms in unlikely places in various ways: For example, we offer very flexible, low-height drains that can be fitted in even where beams are in the way. And we offer made-to-measure solutions to accommodate pesky nooks and crannies.
Sometimes, however, architects face even greater challenges – and come up with creative solutions to overcome them. As fans of architectural innovation, we thought we’d share a couple of cases from our own local area. We thought they were interesting and hope you do too.
What to do if you need a particular type of stone for your renovation project, but you cannot get it anymore? That was the dilemma faced when Overformynderiet – an iconic landmark building in Copenhagen – was renovated a few years ago. The building is listed, which meant that using the same materials to repair and restore the façade was not just imperative from an aesthetic point of view; it was required by law. However, the cladding was Greenlandic marble, which you cannot source anymore.
The cladding was Greenlandic marble which you cannot source anymore.
Overformynderiet – an iconic landmark building in Copenhagen is listed
So what could be done? Fortunately, a few blocks of Greenlandic marble were found in the harbour of Copenhagen, where they had been used as infill materials. But the real lifesaver was a solution that can quite literally be described as Solomonic: splitting the existing marble slabs in half to make two out of one. The method, which is known as the honeycomb technique, can only be carried out by one company in the world, so the marble slabs were shipped to Dallas for specialist treatment. Not only did this ensure that enough marble was available for the project; the split surfaces also meant the faded slabs were restored to a far more vivid brightness. Stretching the materials available in this way allowed the architects, Over Byen, to return the façade to its original glory using original materials.
To mount insulating glass units onto the timber framing letting the striking half-timbered structure remain fully visible
The historic structure continue to dazzle while keeping the wind out and the heat in.
When repurposing Masteskurene – literally the Mast Sheds, a building complex formerly used in historic shipbuilding to store and construct masts for sailing ships – the architects, Maali & Lalanda arkitekter, faced precisely that dilemma: how could the building’s legacy be preserved in a way that combined visual impact with modern comfort? The answer was to mount insulating glass units onto the timber framing, letting the striking half-timbered structure remain fully visible. Elsewhere in the building, the use of glass for insulating purposes still allows light to filtering through the gaps in the overlapping wooden cladding. Praised as both practical and poetic, this solution lets the historic structure continue to dazzle while keeping the wind out and the heat in.
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