Drawing on the Archives 1

The Royal Danish Academy – Cultural Heritage, Transformation, Conservation / Copenhagen City Archives

Drawing on the Archives Vol.

Hans Christian Hansen

INTRODUCTION

In collaboration with the city archives of Stockholm, Copenhagen and Budapest, the City Memories project investigates new methods and practices for interpreting and presenting architectural drawings. The overall intention is to render archival material more accessible, comprehensible, and usable for students, practising architects and other user groups. The partnering institutions comprise Copenhagen City Archives, Stockholm University, Óbuda University and the Contemporary Architecture Centre in Budapest, the Royal Danish Academy and the Università Politecnica delle Marche in Ancona, Italy. The overall aim of the project is to promote an understanding of European cultural heritage towards a sustainable and inclusive future by supporting the New European Bauhaus initiative (EC 2o21) and the UN Agenda 2o3o (UN 2o15) – in this case, the sustainable development goal SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Societies, in particular.

In their project Gendered Rooms, Stockholm City Archives traced female constructors in their collection of drawings to add their information and stories to the history of architecture. Moreover, the Archives worked on interpreting these buildings together with historians to enhance our understanding of female spaces. The Budapest

City Archives were involved with data circulation in collaboration with the festival Budapest1oo and Óbuda University, Ybl Miklós Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering. When citizens and students use archival collections, they create new material that might be important for archives to keep, which is what was explored in their project Visualising Built Heritage. In the project Sustainable Houses – which is the focus of this publication – Copenhagen City Archives and the Royal Danish Academy, the master’s degree programme for Cultural Heritage, Transformation and Conservation, investigated new methods and practices for interpreting and re-presenting architectural drawings as a significant component of a sustainable building culture of the future.

We conclude that, in consideration of the accelerating ecological crisis which calls on architects to focus on careful restoration and cultivation rather than on the construction of new buildings, architects should study what already exists as a basis for new interventions. As such, there is a link between sustainability and archival material, as it embodies a vital and living source of information and, thus, a powerful potential for future research.

Drawing on the Archives

“The architect-bricoleur sniffs around, [s]he rummages through old things, through materials and artifacts as well as ideas and concepts […] Like a detective, [s]he looks for signs that might unlock a project […] and [s]he works round the restrictions imposed by the specific history of materials at [their] disposal.” (Scalbert 2o13, 11o).

It is well known that the transformation and restoration of existing buildings may significantly assist in reducing the use of resources and greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, there is a growing demand in the field of architecture for new methods and strategies that deal with existing buildings and environments. Traditionally, consulting the archives as part of the pre-design analysis and valuation phase has been an important way to gather valuable information. However, the vast collection of historical architectural drawings and images on file in Copenhagen City Archives is little used and most materials are considered a hidden resource. We believe that now, more than ever, architects need a well-documented technological, historical, and architectural foundation – particularly in light of the accelerating ecological crisis. This comprises

not only climate change caused by rising carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, but also changes to biosphere integrity, land systems and synthetic chemicals released to the environment as described in the Planetary Boundaries Framework (Richardsson et al. 2o23). We argue that our built environment has great potential in the requisite green transition, in terms of environmental and technological properties, existing cultural-historical values and architectural-aesthetic effects. As such, buildings are considered sources of knowledge, meanings and values, with the potential to inspire a sustainable building culture of the future, which includes protecting the buildings and environments we care about and preserving and transforming them in a meaningful way. In continuation of this, it is our hope that the hitherto hidden resources found in Copenhagen City Archives may emerge from their cabinets and make a contribution for the benefit of the society they serve.

This book is part of a three-volume publication documenting the Sustainable Houses subproject. This volume describes the background for the project which includes Copenhagen City Archives, the City Architect’s Office and other archival resources. Furthermore, two semester assignments at the Royal Danish Academy are described and

six selected student projects are investigated. This volume is complemented by two books showing selected student drawings and photographs of models, both of which are considered an aesthetic language in their own right. We argue that the information gathered in the archives has contributed important, critical information for understanding the existing buildings’ environmental and technological properties and their cultural-historical and architectural-aesthetic qualities and that the information has been a rich source of creativity and inspiration for architectural interventions that respond to the accelerating ecological crisis. The following comprises a description of Copenhagen City Archives and the role they play in society and an investigation of student projects made at the Royal Danish Academy on the basis of archival studies. The first part, ARCHIVES, is written by project participants from Copenhagen City Archives, and the second part, TRANSFORMATIONS, is written by project participants from the Royal Danish Academy. The final part discussing the perspectives of archival material as a critical basis for a sustainable building culture of the future going forward was written collaboratively by the project participants.

Fig. 1. Visit to the Drawing Collection.

Photo by Victor Boye Julebæk, 2o23.

Buildings on file at the archives

The municipality is responsible for how large parts of the cityscape look today and continue to develop. Therefore, Copenhagen City Archives house a rich, diverse array of material relating to architecture and urban planning. This provides

insight into past architectural practices, technical knowledge, urban data, historical context, political strategies, personal eyewitness accounts and much more besides. The Archives contain documentation of everything, from political visions of urban planning down to the last architectural detail.

Different municipal administrations have influenced how our city and its physical environment have developed. These administrations include the offices of the City Gardener, City Engineer and City Architect. These offices have actively planned buildings and urban districts, while other offices have indirectly influenced our cityscape by commissioning schools, technical facilities and other municipal buildings. Archival material from these administrations can be written documents, such as administrative records, reports and correspondence, or visual material such as drawings and photographs.

Building permits on file at the archives

Construction permits constitute a key point of entry for exploring the history of specific buildings. These records provide details about approval processes, technical details, drawings and more. In Copenhagen these permits are issued by the City’s Office of Constructions Permits. Their entire archive is digitised and available today in the digi-

tal platform Filarkiv. The database contains material relating to existing buildings, but whenever a building is torn down, the case file is transferred to Copenhagen City Archives. The Office of Constructions Permits contains architectural drawings of buildings that were actually built and other documentation relating to building code issues. Copenhagen City Archives contain other and more diverse collections of architectural drawings, but these drawings are not necessarily “as built” and might show procedural steps, a greater degree of detail and notes.

Drawings and maps

Furthermore, the Archives contain a collection of some 3oo,ooo maps and architectural drawings, most of which come from different municipal offices. The collection can provide insight into the planning and construction of individual structures as well as broader planning initiatives. It is possible to find both the smallest architectural detail and large-scale urban plans. Many of these drawings come from the office of the City Architect and will be shown in this publication. Besides this complete working archive, there are also small collections relating to individual buildings or projects in Copenhagen. Examples are plans for Copenhagen

City Hall or a collection of drawings from refurbishments of the stock exchange, Børsen, in the 19th century.

The collection of maps is a great resource for examining Copenhagen’s urban layout, street patterns and historical expansion. Another more tangible option is to explore infrastructure, changing demarcations and plot numbers over time. The most renowned document in this collection is possibly Christian Gedde’s elevated map of Copenhagen from 1761 (Møller et al. 2o22, 14). Gedde surveyed all twelve districts of the city including the most recent expansion – at that time – in the form of the Frederiksstaden district commissioned by then king Frederik V, who also commissioned Gedde’s map. The survey formed the basis for one grand map that drew together the districts using an elevation technique that made it possible to envision Copenhagen in an 18th century 3D representation of sorts.

Other archival resources

A lot of the archival material documents the city’s administrative and political decisions, but the archives also contain material that reflects the lived life in the city and how inhabitants have interacted with architecture and urban design

throughout history. You will be able to trace personal accounts and life courses in the archive (see e.g. Wingender 2o1o). These could be oral histories and memories handed over to the collection or records showing who inhabited the buildings, owned businesses or used the facilities provided by the municipality. In 194o, a housing commission was established within the municipality of Copenhagen and documented the city’s housing situation for more than eighty years (Møller et al. 2o22, 33). It carried out inspections of buildings and urban districts to see whether the housing situation complied with health and fire regulations. Its reports and photo documentation show the living situation and use of buildings in the poorer parts of the capital. Archival sources are used in various ways by architects, urban planners, urban historians and other professionals working with the city and its physical environment. A single drawing might be enough to begin a project, or it could be necessary to put together all the pieces of the puzzle by examining the written material, construction permits and photographs as well.

Fig. 2. Map of Copenhagen [cropped].

Drawing by Christian Gedde, 1761.

THE CITY ARCHITECT’S OFFICE

For more than 11o years, the City of Copenhagen had its own architectural firm in the form of the City Architect’s Office, whose efforts shaped large parts of present-day Copenhagen. The City Architect drew up everything from sketches of small details to grand visions that still leave their mark on the City of Copenhagen (Møller et al. 2o22, 25). In practice it was an office that served multiple purposes: it was an authority and an architectural and artistic advisor for politicians and municipal departments. In addition, the City Architect’s Office was also made up of practising architects whose various assignments included providing advice, making proposals, maintaining and transforming municipal buildings and supervising projects.

The City Architect’s Office was formed in 1886, with Ludvig Fenger as the first city architect. Until then, architectural enterprises had been placed in different departments within the municipality, but from 1886 these were centralised in one office. City officials had two purposes for centralising and establishing the office. The first was that by creating a central architectural office, municipal buildings and projects could be planned more expediently and uniformly. The second was that centralisation would make it possible to gather

lessons learned from one project and apply them to the next, thereby ensuring a continuity that future projects could learn from (Brink et al. 2o21, 8). As the municipality and municipal departments were not obliged to use the City Architect, the City Architect was responsible for the creation of many, but not all, municipal buildings. Many of the municipal buildings in Copenhagen were designed by private architects.

As a city, Copenhagen expanded rapidly throughout the 19th century, both demographically and geographically, and the responsibilities of the municipality changed accordingly (Brink et al. 2o21, 6). The city was in a process of accommodating a bigger population and meeting the rising social demands of a welfare organisation. These trends can also be traced through several of the projects assigned to the City Architect. Some commissions involved the creation of a technical infrastructure such as power plants, water towers and sewage treatment to make the city hygienic and clean, and to accommodate a growing population. Other tasks involved the building of new institutions such as schools and other welfare institutions. The office also designed apartment buildings and was responsible for urban spaces such as streets, roads, squares, parks and monuments. The

large-scale operations of creating and planning urban spaces were accompanied by small-scale operations such as street furniture. The City Architect designed streetlights, benches, bins, advertising columns, telephone boxes, cable masts and toilets for dogs, to name a few.

End of the City Architect and new beginnings

In 1998, after 112 years, the City Architect’s Office was decommissioned as part of a sweeping restructuring of municipal departments. Only three years later the office was recommissioned, but this time in a slimmed-down version. From then on, the City Architect was solely an architectural advisor and no longer included a practising architectural office.

In the wake of the decommissioning process, a new municipal office saw the light of day. In 1998 the office for Consulting Engineers and Architects (in short RIA) was created. The office took over some of the experienced, specialised staff from the City Architect’s Office and was a result of the restructuring of municipal assignments in the 199os. It was tasked with providing technical, financial and architectural consulting to the municipal institutions, but on different terms than its predecessors. The office was supposed to be commercially viable but ran

into economic difficulty and was decommissioned in 2oo5 (Brink et al. 2o21, 11).

Copenhagen City Archives houses the complete drawing archives of the City Architect, as well as drawings from Consulting Engineers and Architects. The collection comprises roughly 18o,ooo architectural drawings. Some of the drawings have been handed over to the archives on a continuous basis, while the remainder were transferred after the City Architect’s Office was decommissioned. This is a craftmanship archive in the sense that it includes all aspects of the design process: blueprints, drafts and final drawings. The drawings are sorted by project or plot number rather than as part of a case file. The number of drawings produced varies from one project to another, but the drawings also reflect the period in which they were created. The more recent the drawings, the greater the number of drawings associated with one project, which reflects the increasingly stringent demands of the municipality as well as the increasingly technical complexity of installation and construction (Brink et al. 2o21, 2o-21). This is exemplified by the school at Jagtvej, for which only twelve drawings of the original building from 1888 are preserved, whereas a minimum of 78 were created for enlarging the school in 1975.

Fig 3. List of city architects in Copenhagen

19o4: 1925: 1943: 1966: 1969: 1973: 1988: 1999: 2o1o: 2o19: 2o24: :

Ludvig Fenger (1833–19o5)

Hans Wright (1854–1925)

Poul Holsøe (1873–1966)

Frederik Christian Lund (1896–1984)

Johan Pedersen (19o2–197o)

Frode Jørgensen (19o3–1988)

Eivind Lorenzen (1918–1994)

Otto Käszner (1938–2o19)

Jan Christiansen (1947– )

Tina Saaby (1969– )

Camilla Richter-Friis van Deurs (1976– )

Lars Jensen (1975–)

Fig. 3. The City Architect’s Office. Unknown photographer, 1942.

HANS CHRISTIAN HANSEN

The City Architect of Copenhagen attracted some of the most renowned Danish architects of the 2oth century, one of whom was Hans Christian Hansen. Hansen was born in Odense and became a qualified carpenter before moving to Copenhagen to study at the Royal Danish Academy, where his interests mostly centred on ecclesiastical architecture. As soon as he graduated from the Academy in 1928, he began earning his living by working for the municipality of Copenhagen, but he also had his own architectural firm on the side with friend and colleague Viggo S. Jørgensen (Keiding 2o13, 39). He contributed to a wide variety of projects in his early days at the City Architect’s drawing office, such as old peoples’ homes, children’s institutions, a spectator’s stand and a laundry building.

In 1943, F. C. Lund took over the position as the City Architect of Copenhagen and, although his early years were influenced by the war and postwar era, his later years represent a much more productive and influential period. During this time Lund employed and promoted many new architects. Under Lund as city architect, Hansen began working as lead architect and designed many of the city’s more significant buildings (Sestoft, 1986, 3o2).

One of Hansen’s earlier works was the preschool in the public garden of Skydebanehave (Sestoft, 1986, 3o8). Hansen was interested in humanitarian architecture and social work, and his designs reflect these interests. He created a space for children in an area of the city that was poor at the time and had little access to playgrounds and parks. Welfare architecture was an important aspect of the office as a whole and the projects he was given. From the point when Lund took over as city architect until Hansen retired in 1971, Hansen worked on designing infrastructure, nursing homes and schools (Stadsarkitektens direktorats arkiv).

In the late 195os and 196os, several new tasks were commissioned by the municipal department responsible for gas and electricity. At the time, the city was changing its electricity system from direct to alternating current. Financial growth and rising prosperity also meant that the average resident was using more and more energy, which put pressure on the city’s power supply. The municipality needed to build power plants within and outside the city that could receive high voltage and transform it, so it could be transported and supply electricity to the residents (“Amager Koblingsstation,” 1963, Belysningsvæsenets arkiv). Lund tasked Hansen with these assignments

and he designed the electrical substations in Copenhagen, such as distribution substations in Bellahøj and Amager and switching substations at Bremerholm and Nyborggade. Hansen drew on his classicist training from the Academy and his experience with ecclesiastical architecture to create these large structures and refined the technical facility as a genre in the process (Sestoft 1981, 163).

Other factors besides electricity shaped Hansen’s work for the City Architect’s Office. This was a time when society was influenced by wars and new investments in welfare. (Sestoft 1986, 3o2, 317). Architecturally, his inspirations were diverse, drawing on modernism and brutalism as well as traditional building culture. Another factor was the material he had at his disposal. His use of inexpensive and often inconspicuous materials, such as corrugated asbestos panels, concrete and cheap wood, is broadly appreciated today. Because he was working for the municipality, he also had to navigate the political landscape, including its limitations and possibilities.

These aspects can be traced in his work with the extension of the school at Gasværksvej. It was one of his last projects whilst working for the municipality, and it came at a time when he was deprived of his staff and assigned fewer big projects. The

city wanted to redevelop the Vesterbro district and build a neighbourhood school as cheaply as possible (“Vedr. Modernisering af Gasværksvejens skole,” 1967, amongst others records from Magistratens 1. afdeling, Direktoratets arkiv). Hansen was commissioned to design the roof and facade covering a prefabricated concrete construction to accommodate the demands of the City Council.

Hansen in the archives

Hansen worked for the municipality throughout his career, and the drawings he made during his employment are kept at Copenhagen City Archives and reflect his attention to detail (Stadsarkitektens direktorats arkiv). He often drew his drawings with a black pen on tracing paper and many of them resemble finished works of art rather than process drawings. He rarely signed his work, which makes it difficult to trace his original drawings in the archives unless one knows what buildings to look for. Besides his drawings, the archives also contain the construction permits relating to every building Hansen worked on whilst employed by the municipality. Copenhagen City Archives also contain archival material showing why these buildings were constructed and how they were used and received by the people of Copenhagen.

Fig. 4: Delving into the archives

The municipal department responsible for gas and electricity commissioned the City Architect’s Office to design the Amager Switching Station. Copenhagen City Archives’ collections include negotiations, bids, lists of drawings and general descriptions from the construction of the building. This material makes it possible to follow the rationale behind the project as well as the requirements for the construction. One of the things you can find in the archives is the description of the construction from November 1963. It contains written elaborations on the drawings that specify what the individual abbreviations and thickness of lines mean. It is also possible to find specifications for masons, carpenters, plumbers, glaziers and painters concerning their part of the project, as well as technical decisions regarding the wiring, remote-control system and lightning arresters. (Belysningsvæsenets arkiv).

Fig. 4. Amager Switching Station. Unknown photographer, 1975. VISDA.

Fig. 5: Delving into the archives

The state school at Gasværksvej has handed over material to Copenhagen City Archives. The school’s archive contains pictures, annual reports, class lists and much more. Here you can read the school’s own accounts relating to the construction of Hansen’s extension and how it affected everyday life at the school. After the extension was finished, you can continue to follow the use of the new premises through room lists and photos from the daily routines at the school. The archive also contains newspaper clippings mentioning the school in local newspapers. This reflects an interest in how the local community and politicians perceived the new building, which was highly controversial at the time. (Gasværksvejens skoles arkiv).

Fig. 5. Gasværksvejen School.

Photo by Mogens Falk-Sørensen, 1972.

Fig. 6/7. The Drawing Collection. Photos by Victor Boye Julebæk, 2o23.

TRANSFORMATIONS

Over the course of two semesters, students from the master’s degree programme in Cultural Heritage, Transformation and Conservation at the Royal Danish Academy have based their studies on archival drawings from Copenhagen City Archives. The overall intention was to demonstrate how new architectural practices aimed at responding to the findings of climate science may build on a well-documented technological, historic and architectural foundation.

In the 2o23 spring semester, students focused on the relationship between building and city and were asked to submit design proposals for new entrances to the buildings of the National Museum. In the 2o23 autumn semester, they focused on the collected works of City Architect Hans Christian Hansen and were asked to develop proposals for the adaptive reuse of two existing buildings: a former school and a switching station. What follows is a description of the buildings forming the basis for the two assignments and the approach used in the two assignments. Six selected student projects are analysed, with the conclusion that Copenhagen City Archives has contributed important information for describing the architectural interventions in response to the accelerating ecological crisis.

The National Museum

The National Museum is Denmark’s largest museum of cultural history. The museum is centrally located in Copenhagen in close proximity to public institutions such as the City Hall, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Thorvaldsen’s Museum, Lapidarium of Kings and the Danish Parliament located in Christiansborg Palace. The National Museum consists of buildings from various historical periods (Arkitema et al. 2o15). The oldest section, the Prince’s Mansion, overlooks Frederiksholm Canal and was built in 1743–1744, originally to house the then Crown Prince Frederik. The building was designed by Nicolai Eigtved and is one of Denmark’s best-preserved examples of French rococo. It was taken over by the Danish state in 1849, and the National Museum officially opened in 1892. The museum was expanded in 1929–1936 to include the entire block with buildings designed by Mogens Clemmensen. The most recent additions to the National Museum were made by Gehrdt Bornebusch in 1989–1992.

The Prince’s Mansion is built in plastered bricks with wooden floors and facade detailing in copper and sandstone. Clemmensen was heavily inspired by Eigtved’s building and aimed to create a unified whole with his new additions. The Clemmesen

additions are built in plastered brick with a granite colonnade along Stormgade and plastered concrete details imitating sandstone. The rhythm of the windows, the light brown colour of the facade, the shape and materiality of the roof and the cornice continuing along each facade create a coherence between the Prince’s Mansion and the new additions. Bornebusch additions are made from concrete, glass and steel. They are not visible from the street but form part of the whole by filling in two courtyards, providing a main south-facing entrance and an employee canteen to the north.

Despite its central location, grand size and rich history, the museum’s main building in Copenhagen appears withdrawn and closed off to the public. The National Museum wishes to attract more visitors and give spectators a better experience than today. One of the possible strategies is to demolish the existing buildings, which are not listed, and replace them with an entirely new structure. As an alternative, the student projects aimed to demonstrate how the existing buildings could be saved and transformed to serve the new requirements.

formation TR1

Det Kongelige Akademi - Arkitektskolen

Fig. 8. The National Museum.

Trans

Photo by Victor Boye Julebæk, 2o23.

H. C. Hansen

Hansen’s work for the City Architect’s Office constitutes a significant contribution to the built heritage of the welfare society. Post-war buildings (1945–1975) comprise more than a third of Denmark’s building mass and are currently the subject of renewed attention, partly as examples of welfare-society architecture and partly for their role in the green transition (Toftgaard et al. 2o22, 7.). The buildings are characterised by their use of new materials and building techniques, and the consequential technical difficulties which include the use of environmentally harmful substances. Also, buildings from this period are rarely appreciated in public opinion, but bear witness to important societal developments that are still relevant today. The land they occupy in Copenhagen has high monetary value, and the building structure represents a large material investment which can find new use through adaptive reuse.

Hansen’s buildings fall in two main categories: 1) state schools and institutions contributing to the formation of the social community and learning environment; and 2) transformer and switching stations housing the city’s electricity supply. To highlight Hansen’s contribution to the welfare society’s built heritage, the semester pro -

ject included Gasværksvejen School and Amager Switching Station, both some of the last buildings realised by Hansen. The buildings are characterised by a meticulous articulation of structure, joint and relief, particularly expressed in the facades and the way in which they deal with basic environmental elements such as daylight and rainwater.

Gasværksvejen School is situated on the corner of Istedgade and Eskildsgade in the Vesterbro district. The school was built in 1969–1971 as an addition to an already existing school building designed by architect Hans Jørgen Holm in 188o. In 2oo9, Gasværksvejen School was refurbished and PCB-decontaminated by BBP architects, and in 2o16 the school was enlarged with a new dining hall designed by Vandkunsten architects. The exterior of Hansen’s school buildings is characterised by a straightforward, loadbearing structure made of reinforced concrete. The vertical structure is clad with a filigree brise-soleil comprising a tectonically articulated steel and wood structure clad with light, corrugated asbestos panels. The school’s interior is laid out in a series of classrooms rhythmically arranged along a central corridor. The airy rooms are characterised by large windows facing either west or east, and a bright palette of colours dating from the completion.

The buildings are scantily insulated and do not comply with contemporary energy-efficiency standards. Despite having undergone thorough PCB decontamination, subsequent measurements have revealed a high level of toxins in the air. Because of contamination by so-called secondary and tertiary sources, the removal of primary sources only has proved insufficient. Consequently, all interior surfaces have been treated with a transparent coating to seal off the remaining PCB. This coating needs to be frequently re-applied and requires ongoing measurements of air quality to keep toxin levels in check. Due to the high PCB levels contained in the materials, the costs associated with re-applying and monitoring the sealant and the insufficient insulation, the pupils will be relocated to a new school building built on the periphery of Kødbyen (former meatpacking district) by late 2o24. Consequently, the old school buildings will be unoccupied and threatened with demolition.

Amager Switching Station is located six kilometres south of the centre of Copenhagen. It was built in 1968 and extended with a wing in 1974. It comprises a five-storey administration building and two technical wings. The structural concept of the building resembles that of Bellahøj Switch-

ing Station, built north of Copenhagen one year earlier. The administration building is characterised by a vertical, rhythmically arranged, in-situ cast concrete structure with horizontal layering of glass-tile windows and white, slanted corrugated asbestos panels. To the east, the structural rhythm is articulated by a large blue door, spanning three storeys in height, and to the west by perforated concrete panels that provide ventilation. The building gables are blank, carrying the impression of timber shuttering. In contrast to the hard facade of the administration building, the technical wings produce a soft, almost pleated effect. The two buildings are characterised by a horizontally articulated facade comprising overlapping corrugated asbestos panels. The white slanted panels are draped around the corners of the buildings and form a cohesive veil dotted by ventilation openings with protruding roofs. The general condition of the buildings’ exteriors is acceptable. The reinforced, in-situ cast concrete structure shows signs of cracking, however, due to corrosion of the steel reinforcement, and the corrugated asbestos panels show incipient deterioration. The interiors of all three buildings are straightforward and robust. The floors comprise untreated concrete, the walls are whitewashed, the

Fig. 9. Gasværksvejen School.

Photo by Lars Rolfsted Mortensen, 2o23.

Fig. 1o. Amager Switching Station.

Photo by Victor Boye Julebæk, 2o23.

installations are visibly mounted onto the structure and the doors and technical equipment are painted in distinct colours. The general condition of the interiors is excellent, and the rooms have been subject to minimal wear and tear. They are not insulated, however, and do not comply with contemporary energy-efficiency standards. Similarly, the daylight conditions in the administrations building are insufficient for modern requirements.

The future of the switching station is tied to three aspects. Today, the switching station is controlled remotely and not permanently occupied. This means that the administration building is empty and serves no purpose. Given the shortage of unoccupied interior space in Copenhagen, it could be directly used for this purpose in the short term or adapted and reused in the long term. Second, the switching station is expected to need additional technical facilities in the near future and might have to be enlarged to accommodate these. Given the cultural-historic values and architectural qualities of the buildings, this may require new strategies for how to take a more nuanced approach to the built heritage of the welfare society. Finally, as part of a strategy of communicating the value of infrastructure, the City of Copenhagen

intends to render buildings that are normally considered off-limits more accessible. Given the available open area around the switching station, this could be an opportunity to integrate the switching station into the surrounding neighbourhood, providing recreational spaces and open access to a transformed building.

Transformation

In recent years there has been renewed focus on the existing building stock, both regarding its potentially significant contribution to reducing the use of resources and greenhouse gas emissions, but also in terms of its cultural-historic values and architectural-aesthetic effects. In the recent update of the Planetary Boundaries Framework, six of nine boundaries have now been transgressed, suggesting that the Earth is now well beyond the safe operating space (Richardson et al. 2o23). As it is responsible for 5o% of all material resource use (Herczeg et al. 2o14) and more than a third of the EU’s annual greenhouse gas emissions (EEA 2o23), the European building stock contributes significantly to the accelerating crisis.

It is well established that in developed countries, the highest mitigation potential lies within the retrofitting of existing buildings (IPCC 2o22)

and that using vacant spaces and renovating existing buildings must be given higher priority than extensions and new builds (Kuittinen 2o23). It has been documented that transforming and refurbishing existing buildings may contribute significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Sørensen et al. 2o2o; Fufa et al. 2o2o), and a recent life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a half-timbered house from 1887 indicates that careful restoration has a significantly lower environmental impact compared to comprehensive renovation or to demolishing and constructing a new building (Kampmann et al. 2o23).

As pointed out in the latest directive of 7 December 2o23, almost 75% of existing buildings are energy inefficient and will require large-scale energy renovation to comply with zero emission standards by 2o5o (EP 2o23). Accordingly, the Renovation Wave initiative by the European Commission aims to at least double the annual energy renovation rate by 2o3o (EC 2o2o). In addition, the New European Bauhaus (EC 2o21) addresses the need for long-term, lifecycle thinking in the industrial ecosystem and for supporting adaptive reuse, regeneration, life extension and transformation of existing buildings, and the preservation of cultural heritage values to (re)create a sense of belonging (EC 2o21, 9).

Yet while current adaptive reuse and retrofit insulation solutions may reduce energy and resource consumption, they inevitably change the existing structure, technically as well as architecturally, endangering its cultural-heritage values and architectural-aesthetic effects. This underlines the urgent need to develop methods and practices that include not only technological considerations, but also the values and meanings associated with the built heritage. Rather than perceiving the existing building stock as a burden, the built heritage could thus be deemed a significant source of creativity and inspiration for adaptation and mitigation actions, which can be important responses to the findings of climate science as described by ICOMOS (ICOMOS 2o19).

In continuation, this project considers the preservation and development of existing buildings, cities and landscapes which is essential for reducing greenhouse gases, restricting the use of resources and strengthening the multiple meanings and values represented in the existing building stock. To qualify better adaptive reuse and retrofit insulation solutions that respect existing technological, historic and architectural qualities, the knowledge of existing conditions as documented in the archives is used as a critical basis for architectural interventions.

In the following, selected student projects are described and analysed through the lens of the SER framework. The SER framework comprises sufficiency, efficiency and renewable measures to realise the full decarbonisation potential of the building stock. Sufficiency comprises long-term, non-technological actions aiming at a decent standard of living for everyone within planetary boundaries. The principle addresses the causes of environmental impacts and aims to reduce the demand for energy and materials. Efficiency comprises the short-term technological improvements that make it possible to do more with less, but without specifically considering the planetary boundaries. The principle treats the symptoms of the environmental impacts by improving the intensity of energy and material. Renewable measures address the consequences of the environmental impacts by aiming to reduce the carbon intensity of energy and materials. Importantly, the SER framework introduces a hierarchical layering, placing sufficiency first followed by efficiency and renewable measures. In continuation, the analysis investigates how the archival material found in Copenhagen City Archives is manifested in students’ projects and how sustainable initiatives relating to sufficiency, efficiency and renewable measures are manifested in the projects.

Fig. 11. Archival photograph of Stormgade.

Photo by Hendriksen, year unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The spring semester of 2o23 – The National Museum – focused on the grander scale of the city and the institutions that form a cultural “archipelago” interwoven with the city fabric. The overall intention was to open up the ground floor of the National Museum to the public so that the museum can function as an extension of the surrounding urban space. The existing main entrance was to be supplemented with three new entrances – one on each side of the block. The aim of the new entrances was to establish an interaction with the surrounding city, including other public institutions and coincidental passers-by, and make the green courtyard accessible to the public. The assignment given to the students was to develop a project proposal for one of the three planned new entrances, either from Frederiksholm Canal, Stormgade or Vester Voldgade. In one sense the task was to make a new opening in the building complex. In a broader sense it was to articulate the communicative threshold between the museum and the city.

The first part of the assignment was to combine existing drawings of individual buildings into a larger new map that would highlight the publicly accessible spaces and describe the spatial relation

of building to city. The map was inspired by the ichnographic so-called Nolli map of Rome made by Italian architect Giambattista Nolli in 1748, who depicted the city in a novel way. The principle of the map was simple. All public spaces are rendered white, while building walls and private spaces, i.e. everything that is not publicly accessible, is undifferentiated black. What is remarkable about Nolli’s map is that it emphasises the space created by and between buildings rather than the form and design of the individual buildings.

For the National Museum project, Copenhagen City Archives provided drawings of public institutions to contribute to a Nolli-style map (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 2, 8). Since the National Museum is privately owned, archival drawings were provided by the National Museum archive rather than Copenhagen City Archives. In combination with a building survey of selected structural elements, this material formed the basis for digitising the drawings used by students in their projects. Whereas detailed building surveys are often quite time consuming, the use of archival drawings is a quick way to gather information about existing conditions. As the National Museum is a large building complex, the use of archival material significantly reduced the time spent in the initial project phase.

The second part of the assignment was to make a design proposal for new entrances as part of the reuse of the National Museum buildings which, according to current plans, are threatened with demolition. The aim of the interventions was to create a welcoming entrance and enhance the relation of city to museum. In parallel with surveys, analytical texts and drawings, students were asked to make a large-scale physical model of the entrance in question that would specify the proposal in great detail and create awareness of the value of physical material.

The autumn semester of 2o23 – H. C. Hansen –focused on the collected works of City Architect Hans Christian Hansen. Students were assigned to use the archival drawings as a basis for transforming an existing building that – like the National Museum – is threatened with demolition. Two buildings that were considered representative of Hansen’s work – an institution and a technical facility respectively – were selected for further studies. In both projects, archival drawings were investigated, interpreted and re-presented to make the basis for the interventions proposed by the students as part of their master’s degree studies. In contrast to the National Museum project, student drawings

of the H. C. Hansen projects have not been supplemented by an on-site building survey and are solely based on archival studies.

The first part of the assignment included the gathering of the original drawings at Copenhagen City Archives’ repositories in Høje Taastrup. The original drawings were scanned and used as a basis for creating a new digital set of drawings on scales of 1:5oo, 1:5o and 1:5. Special attention was given to the vast amount of detailed drawings, which were crucial to understanding the buildings, and came to play a significant role throughout the students’ projects. Based on the knowledge obtained in this phase, the functional programme for each building was developed in a joint workshop.

The second part of the assignment was to develop proposals for the adaptive reuse of Gasværksvejen School and Amager Switching Station. The aim was to reuse the existing buildings by implementing a new programme that would use as few new resources as possible in considering questions of energy and contamination. As such, the central question concerned reusing Hansen’s buildings without compromising the existing cultural-historic values and architectural-aesthetic effects in respect of planetary boundaries.

Approach

Both semester assignments followed a welldescribed approach considering three levels: 1) a pre-design phase, including survey, analysis and valuation; 2) a schematic design phase, including sketches, preliminary drawings and models; and 3) a design phase, including detailed construction drawings (Andersen 2o15, 81–82). In the pre-design phase, the relevant archival drawings were selected, interpreted and re-presented to form the basis for an architectural intervention. The existing building was analysed and assessed in consideration of the existing environmental-technological properties, cultural-historic values and architectural-aesthetic effects. In the schematic design phase, architectural interventions in the existing buildings were proposed on the basis of the findings of the first phase, and in the final design phase, the proposals were developed into a detailed set of drawings on scales of 1:5oo, 1:5o and 1:5, which included visualisations and architectural models on a scale of 1:2o.

The design of each student project followed an approach that may be described as a “reflective practice” (Schön 1986; 2oo1). The process involves the continuous analyses and actions done when working on a complex and/or unique problem,

in this case the transformation of the National Museum and two selected buildings designed by Hans Christian Hansen. This “reflective practice” comprises the three levels of “knowing-in-action”, “reflection-in-action” and “reflection on reflection-in-action” that may be repeated in an iterative process until the presentation of the final design.

At the end of each semester, all student projects were assessed pursuant to the procedures of the Royal Danish Academy and the intended learning outcomes described in the curriculum. The results of the first semester projects in the form of selected models were exhibited at the National Museum during the summer of 2o23. The results of the first pre-design phase of the second semester project were exhibited at Copenhagen City Hall in November 2o23. In the following, the resulting student drawings, models, visualisations and textual descriptions of both semester projects are regarded as data that constitute the basis for further investigation. As physical manifestations of an arts-based process (Leavy 2o15) of investigation, interpretation and re-presentation, the drawings and models themselves are considered a language in their own right, communicating meaning from the perceived to the perceiver as aesthetic communication. As such, the two books of drawings may in

themselves be considered a response to the overall question as to how the archival material is manifested in students’ projects as well as what sustainable initiatives are manifested in the projects. Six significant student projects have been selected for further investigation. As an overall selection principle, three projects have been selected from the National Museum assignment and three from the H. C. Hansen assignment. Each of the three National Museum projects represents one intervention site, i.e., new entrances facing Frederiksholm Canal, Stormgade and Vester Voldgade respectively. Each of the three H. C. Hansen projects represents an individual type of intervention: an addition, a minimal intervention and an extensive intervention. The selected project drawings, photos of models and textural descriptions are described and analysed through two different lenses. One investigates the drawings themselves as re-presentations of the archival material. The second focuses on sustainability initiatives as seen through the SER framework comprising sufficiency, efficiency and renewable measures.

Fig. 12. Visit to the Drawing Collection.

Photo by Nanna Claudius Bergø, 2o23.

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

The analysed National Museum projects comprise Astrid Nordlund and Mille Dørge’s project for a new entrance facing Frederiksholm Canal [1] (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 2, pp. 11, 16, 19, 35, 35), Lars Andersen and Mia Christina Forslund’s project for a new entrance facing Stormgade [2] (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 2, pp. 14, 17, 26, 27, 32, 33) and Anne Sofie Buchbjerg Kroghsbo and Cecilie Riis Solberg’s project for a new entrance to the National Museum facing Vester Voldgade [3] (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 2, pp. 1o, 36, 37). The analysed H. C. Hansen projects comprise Anton Carl Michael Nordfeldt’s addition to Amager Switching Station [4] (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 3, pp. 2o, 21), Kathrine Norum’s minimal transformation [5] (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 3, pp. 22, 32, 33, 35) and Lars Andersen and Tycho Bugge’s extensive transformation of Gasværksvejen School [6] (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 3, pp. 3o, 31, 42, 43).

Archival material

In all student projects [1–6], archival drawings seem to have been useful as a (quick) method for gathering information on the individual buildings and their surroundings as well as their historical development as a basis for making a new set of

drawings. Drawings on all scales – including drawings that describe the relation of building to city, building as an entity as well as material and technological details – have been selected, interpreted and re-presented to create a whole in a new set of drawings on scales of 1:5oo, 1:5o and 1:5. In the archive, this material has been hitherto fragmented and, as such, the new set of drawings may be understood as architectural re-presentations that create a new reality which has not existed before. Overall, archival drawings for the National Museum projects [1, 2, 3] have provided a basic understanding of the relationship between the adjacent public buildings and an understanding of how the new entrances interact with the surrounding urban setting. Similarly, the archival drawings for the H. C. Hansen projects [4, 5, 6] have provided a basic understanding of the relationship of the building to its setting. In all projects [1–6], the archival material has provided the basis for the cultural-historic and architectural-aesthetic assessment, and the new set of drawings seems to have given an understanding of the physical structural properties of the individual building.

In Anton’s project [4], archival material has contributed to understanding the temporal development as a basis on which to continue the existing

architectural motif. The original drawings have given insight into the possible intentions of the architects and contributed to an understanding of not only the architectural qualities but the historic development as well. For instance, the later 1974 addition to Amager Switching Station is not immediately visible when surveying the building and was only discovered through archival studies. Also, in many instances, archival drawings do not necessarily represent the building “as built”, but rather the intended outcome at an early stage. In the process of selection, interpretation and re-presentation, new knowledge has been generated through the specific act of re-drawing. This concerns not only a logical understanding of the technological and structural properties and cultural-historic values inherent in the individual building but also the embodied experience of the architectural-aesthetic qualities of the space. Even if digital – and largely quite abstract – the simple process of tracing existing drawings seems to have given a better sense of the existing structure, as if the building has got under the skin during the re-presentation process.

All projects [1–6] are based on a thorough analysis and valuation of the existing qualities which aims to respect what already exists and provide inspiration for new interventions. In the National

Museum projects [1, 2, 3], interventions seem to supplement the existing structure, whereas in the H. C. Hansen projects [4, 5, 6], interventions seem to continue existing motives. Characteristically, the interventions of the National Museum projects [1, 2, 3] are inspired by multiple layers of history. Proposing a new pattern in the colonnade and courtyard paving inspired by archival material, Lars and Mia’s project [2] renders a forgotten layer of history visible. The design is divided into fields relating to the former property boundaries and inspired by details of the early buildings that were demolished when the National Museum was expanded in 1929–1938. The project exemplifies how archival material provides information about historic developments that are no longer visible in the physical, built world but which may, nonetheless, serve as inspiration for new interventions. Similarly, in Anne Sofie and Cecilie’s project [3], archival material has supported the intention of dealing with the buildings as a layering of materials over time, emphasising the interrelation of past, present and future. In this project, an integrated glass case displays archival drawings and objects as an homage to history. It is characteristic of the H. C. Hansen projects [4, 5, 6] that most of the added elements follow the existing structural

syntax and respect the physical and tectonic properties of the materials while adding new layers at the same time. For example, Anton’s addition project [4] is clearly inspired by the existing building’s volumetric configuration, structural principles and technical details, albeit built in wood instead of concrete. In this project, the new exterior cladding on both the existing building and the addition creates coherence between old and new. Similarly, the pragmatic choice of building materials and the proposed colour scheme were clearly inspired by the archival material in Lars and Tycho’s project [6].

Looking at the student drawings, it is clear that archival material played a significant role in the students’ work. On multiple levels, the proposals are permeated by data retrieved from the archives regarding aspects such as the cultural-historic values, architectural-aesthetic effects and environmental and technological properties. Details regarding the relationship to a historic context, existing structural principles and technical details that would otherwise not be accessible have substantially informed the process and the solutions proposed in the projects. As such, archival material has been manifested in students’ projects as invaluable information that has assisted in informing, understanding and inspiring the intervention to re-present the existing situation anew.

Sustainable initiatives

Overall, all student projects [1-6] propose several sufficiency measures aimed at reducing the demand for energy and materials by reusing the existing buildings, either through careful restoration or more comprehensive intervention. As an example of using multiple differentiated strategies in the same project, Anton [4] proposes reusing parts of the existing structure “as found”, transforming other structural components of the building and adding new volume.

In all student projects [1-6], sufficiency measures include rescuing existing buildings from demolition, thus reducing the extensive extraction of virgin resources and the depositing of waste. One project [1] retains all exterior and interior walls. Some projects [1, 5, 6] retain all exterior walls, whereas most projects [2, 3, 4, 5, 6] retain most interior walls. In most student projects [1, 2, 3, 4], building components such as windows, doors and complementing parts have been saved, carefully restored and retrofitted with secondary glazing.

Kathrine [5] and Lars and Tycho [6] propose replacing the existing windows of Gasværksvejen School because of PCB contamination.

Another way to reduce the demand for resources is careful repair. For instance, Astrid and Mille [1]

propose gently removing layers of paint on the walls of the entrance hall, revealing multiple historic layers. To make room in the entrance hall, they propose relocating the runestones that until now have been exhibited across the room and patching the holes left in the existing red limestone floor with terrazzo. In Anne Sofie and Cecilie’s project [3], traces of the past such as patina, wear and tear are used as a deliberate architectural strategy that does not endeavour to achieve stylistic unity (cf. Viollet le Duc) but rather heterogeneous complexity. Both approaches exemplify strategies that understand the building as a nuanced and dynamic entity, allowing several periods of history to co-exist.

As part of a strategy to reuse the existing structure and avoid demolishing the entire building, most projects [2, 3, 4, 5] propose partial demolitions of interior walls and floors to make new spatial connections. For instance, Lars and Mia [2] explore how the new functional demands of the museum could be implemented by developing the potential of existing structures and making only minimal interventions. Kathrine [5] emphasises the general robustness of the plan to secure future adaptability. Lars and Tycho [6] make only minor changes to allow for the new programme, whereas Anne Sofie

and Cecilie [3] remove existing floors to create a new staircase, unveiling the concrete structures of the 1938 expansion in the process. By creating a spatial opposition to the smaller exhibition spaces, the new staircase in Anne Sofie and Cecilie’s project gives the existing spaces a new use and meaning. Despite some rather major changes, the existing architectural-aesthetic and cultural-historic qualities are respected or even enhanced.

All projects [1-6] propose interventions that improve the functionality of the existing structure. This includes the overarching strategy of making the existing structure more welcoming by adding new entrances [1, 2, 3] and securing a variety of exhibition spaces [2, 3]. For instance, Lars and Mia [2] create a new welcoming space with improved accessibility for pedestrians and bikes along Stormgade simply by removing a separating wall. Similarly, they create a spacious new exhibition space by removing part of the floor. In response to the climatic consequences of the accelerating global warming, they furthermore propose planting trees in the courtyard to improve biodiversity and create a cool, comfortable space. Importantly, all projects [1-6] aim to secure universal accessibility by removing obstacles and adding necessary technical interventions. For instance, Astrid

and Mille [1] propose a ramp and two lifts to allow access to the entire building. The universal design measures include physical and experiential measures by making a diversity of spatial qualities accessible to as many users as possible.

In addition to sufficiency measures, most student projects apply efficiency measures, characterised by improving the intensity of energy and material. As a simple, “low tech” intervention, Astrid and Mille [1], Anne Sofie and Cecilie [3], Kathrine [5] and Lars and Tycho [6] all propose entrance windbreaks to prevent cold air from entering the building and mats for scraping footwear as ways of reducing wear and tear on the floor.

Existing windows in the National Museum and existing additional glazing are restored [1, 2, 3]. In her project, Kathrine [5] proposes exterior retrofit insulation, but only on pillars between windows. Both Kathrine [5] and Lars and Tycho [6] propose interior retrofit insulation using renewable materials to break thermal bridges and reduce energy used for heating. In Kathrine’s case, new materials are minimised to leave existing surfaces exposed, whereas Lars and Tycho create a full interior retrofit lining.

Aiming to reduce the carbon intensity of new material, several projects [4, 5, 6] propose that

added elements be made of renewable resources such as timber, hemp and wood fibre. On a building scale, Anton’s [4] addition is proposed as being built entirely in renewable materials and assembled with wood-on-wood joints, reducing the use of metal and thus ensuring the potential for disassembly and enhancing longevity. Kathrine [5] and Lars and Tycho [6] propose interior retrofit insulation made in wood and wood-fibre insulation as well as clay panels. When adding new materials, Lars and Mia [2] use reclaimed materials wherever possible. Due to PCB and asbestos contamination, extraordinary measures have been taken in the H. C. Hansen projects [4, 5, 6]. For instance, Kathrine [5] proposes a complete PCB decontamination regarding both secondary and tertiary sources. In a subtractive process, the parts of the concrete walls that have been directly exposed to PCB are cut out and replaced. All remaining concrete surfaces are sandblasted, leaving selected sections of the existing surface visible. In an additive process, Lars and Tycho [6] propose ventilating the PCB-contaminated structure behind a full retrofit lining, leaving all interior surfaces new. Regarding asbestos contamination, Anton [4], Kathrine [5] and Lars and Tycho [6] propose replacing the facade’s corrugated asbestos brise-soleils with new panels. In Lars

and Tycho’s project, this technical necessity gives rise to an architectural reinterpretation of Hansen’s existing facade, replacing the existing sheets with curved metal sheets painted in a green tone.

As outlined above, sustainable initiatives include sufficiency measures that reduce the demand for materials and energy, such as retaining existing structural and secondary structural elements, doing careful repair and securing adaptability and accessibility. Efficiency measures that improve energy efficiency and the reuse of materials include additional glazing and interior and exterior retrofit insulation. Renewable measures that reduce the carbon intensity of energy and materials include reused or bio-based materials.

Significantly, the analysed projects use existing and new materials according to their properties in compliance with the existing structural physics and strengthen the existing cultural-historic values and architectural-aesthetic effects rather than reduce them.

The student projects concerning the National Museum’s entrances present a wide range of ideas for how new entrances in the existing building structure could be established. Generally, all projects are based on a solid understanding of the existing qualities, and the proposals provide meticulous responses to the existing situation. Many projects demonstrate how it is possible to make the National Museum significantly more welcoming, without undermining the existing qualities.

The student projects concerning Hansen’s buildings present a wide range of ideas for how existing post-war buildings could be transformed. Generally, all projects are based on a solid understanding of the existing qualities, and the proposals provide meticulous responses to the existing situation. Many projects demonstrate how it is possible to add new layers to the existing structure, without undermining the existing qualities.

Sustainable initiatives in the student projects for the new National Museum and the H. C. Hansen projects include sufficiency measures – aimed at reducing the demand for materials and energy by optimising the use of buildings and repurposing unused existing ones – and energy and resource efficiency measures such as retrofitting the existing buildings. All things considered, the informa-

tion gathered from the archives has contributed critical information for understanding the existing structural, technological, cultural-historic and architectural-aesthetic situation. The archival information has also been a rich source of creativity and inspiration for architectural interventions that respond to the accelerating ecological crisis.

Fig. 13. Exhibition in Copenhagen City Hall.

Photo by Victor Boye Julebæk, 2o23.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

In his 1923 modernist manifesto “ Vers une Architecture ,” Le Corbusier famously stated that a great epoch had now begun. Instead of accepting historic answers to contemporary problems, architects should “[…] shut our eyes to what exists” (Le Corbusier 1986 [1923], 114) and provide new dwellings adapted to human needs. This revolutionary demand paved the way for the development of the welfare city as we know it, including new ways of mass production that – in contrast to traditional building technology –favoured modular systems, assembly and repetition of prefabricated elements.

In the 21st century, the so-called New Wave in Danish Architecture (Weiss et al. 2o12) regarded buildings as individual objects that are nonchalant about place, tectonics and materiality, yet easy to communicate as diagrams. In their own self-understanding, avant-garde architects should devise new ideas for leveraging development and growth. Unfortunately, it has now become clear that this endless expansion of space and territory is not possible. The economic activity of human enterprise that has continued to grow rapidly since 195o, known as the Great Acceleration (Steffen et al. 2o15), means that six out of nine Planetary

Boundaries have now been transgressed (Richardson et al. 2o23).

Considering this ecological emergency, architects should re-orient their practices from demolishing buildings and constructing new ones to carefully transforming and restoring what already exists (Andersen 2o24). Altogether, the cultural-historic values, architectural-aesthetic effects and environmental and technological properties engender a renewed need for response-ability (Haraway 2o16). This calls for a systematic, analytical approach combined with a highly developed aesthetic sensibility. As such, a new architectural approach and practice of care should involve both listening and responding in a specific situation (Andersen 2o24).

In continuation of the SER framework, architectural strategies include utilisation and redistribution, reuse and adaptation as well as optimisation and improvement (Andersen 2o24). As the projects analysed above exemplify, existing built structures – differing in size, construction technique and age – could be better utilised, reused and optimised as architectural responses to the findings of climate science.

Through strategies of adaptation and retrofit insulation, existing structures have not only been

saved from demolition but improved to serve future needs. The process of preserving buildings rather than constructing new ones has reduced the extraction of raw materials and energy used in the process of construction and reduced the disposal of materials and energy used for demolishing buildings, thus reducing the climate impact in the production process and end-of-life phases. In addition, the significant – and accelerating –problem concerning novel (hazardous) entities has been dealt with in innovative ways that would otherwise not have been possible.

Where conservation architecture traditionally has been somewhat of an exact science, using only a handful of traditional building materials and construction methods in mostly historic buildings, the task of the transformation architect today is becoming increasingly complex. Not only has the number of materials skyrocketed and construction techniques changed, but new issues regarding the different qualities of the historic epochs – especially between the pre-war and post-war buildings – have increased the complexity of the architect’s tasks.

The acknowledged methods of transformation architecture include survey, analysis and valuation of the technical, historic and architectural qual-

ities of the existing building and its environment – before any intervention is proposed (Andersen 2o15). It is critical that nothing valuable which may not have been discovered at first glance is destroyed, and it is crucial that the investigation inspires interventions which would otherwise not have been conceived. As such, the architect may be understood as a bricoleur who, by looking in old things, materials and artifacts, finds signs that may unlock a project (Scalbert 2o13, 11o).

In the student projects analysed, archival material has proved an efficient method for gathering information and forming the basis for transformation proposals. The drawings have enabled an understanding of the existing situation and proved an invaluable source of inspiration in terms of environmental and technological properties, cultural-historic values and architectural-aesthetic effects. In a wider perspective, not only the drawings themselves may be considered archival material. In fact, the whole city could be regarded as a rich, inexhaustible source of materials, spaces and narratives that could provide information and inspiration for future interventions.

All in all, it is hard to imagine that the results would be of the same quality without the archival material. Based on the information found in

the archive, the student projects exemplify how to implement a new programme in the existing building structures that minimises the environmental impact of energy and material resources – while respecting and enhancing the existing cultural-historic values and architectural-aesthetic effects at the same time. As such, it is fair to say that the archival material found in Copenhagen City Archives has contributed significantly to qualifying the students’ practices towards a sustainable building culture.

From an archival perspective, the Sustainable Houses project brought together architects and archivists in a joint effort to reactivate archival resources at the Royal Danish Academy. This collaboration shed light on an unused collection in the archives and pointed towards different findings, some of which highlighted the importance of working with experts on architectural drawings. This dialogue is meaningful and can benefit both architects and archivists. These findings also reflect the obstacles and potential that collaborations such as this can reveal.

At first glance, archives can seem difficult to understand and use, but they also hold a great potential for architects working in the field of trans-

formation. When working on existing structures, it can be useful to look to the historical collections. These sources can support a written assignment and provide background information about buildings, communities and cities. They can serve as the foundation for measurements or modelbuilding. Finally, the drawings, photographs, maps and other archival material can serve as important argumentation when presenting a final project.

The project has served as a door opener into the world of archives for the students. It also enabled critical reflection on how and why it is important to use historical drawings and records as a resource when dealing with transformation. The archival, historical material is helpful for understanding how to build better and make adaptations that make sense now and in the future. At the same time, the project helped archivists understand how archival material can support a sustainable building culture of the future and identify which steps could be taken to support architects who want to make better use of the collections.

The project has shown the importance of digitisation and online visibility. Future and present architects are pressed for time and use multiple tools in their work processes, which is why the archival material needs to be easily accessible.

The physical architectural drawings are also more useful in a digital form and need to be digitised so that they can be uploaded into sketching programs used by architecture students. Copenhagen City Archives has already developed a digital asset management platform (kbhbilleder) primarily used for displaying digitised historical photos to the public. With the relevant adaptations and in a cocreation process with architects, this platform could be adapted to display the architectural drawings on a wider scale. Digital platforms are important tools in architectural processes, but it is not enough to digitise material and publish it online. The material needs to be accompanied by the right metadata, search and filtration options and, of course, downloading functions. By interlinking other relevant material and other platforms with digitised material, the collection of the City Architect could become even more useful.

In conclusion, we ask ourselves what we have learned. For one thing, rather than constructing concepts that increase the demand for energy and material, the task of the architect today should be careful cultivation that reduces the demand for resources. Second, in contrast to the modernist tabula rasa, architectural strategies should recognise what already exists as a basis for new interventions. Third, there is a link between sustainability and archival material, as archival material is not inert matter but rather a vivid and lively source of information.

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Weiss, Kristoffer Lindhardt. “Den pragmatiske vending.” In Den ny bølge i Dansk arkitektur, edited by Kristoffer Lindhardt Weiss and Kjeld Vindum, 14-21. København: Arkitektens Forlag, 2o12.

Wingender, Nete Balslev. “Der var engang et hus.” In Store forventninger – Moral og økonomi i 17oo-tallets København, edited by Peter Henningsen and Nete Balslev Wingender, 219-247. København: Københavns Stadsarkiv, 2o1o.

PROJECTS

1. Astrid Nordlund and Mille Dørge. The National Museum’s entrance towards Frederiksholm Canal. (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 2. pp, 11, 16, 19, 35, 35)

2. Lars Andersen and Mia Christina Forslund. The National Museum’s entrance towards Stormgade. (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 2, pp. 14, 17, 26, 27, 32, 33)

3. Anne Sofie Buchbjerg Kroghsbo and Cecilie Riis Solberg. The National Museum’s entrance towards Vester Voldgade. (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 2, pp. 1o, 36, 37)

4. Anton Carl Michael Nordfeldt. Addition to Amager Switching Station. (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 3, pp. 2o, 21)

5. Kathrine Norum. Transformation of Gasværksvejen School. (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 3, pp. 22, 32, 33, 35)

6. Lars Andersen and Tycho Bugge. Transformation of Gasværksvejen School. (Drawing on the Archives Vol. 3, pp. 3o, 31, 42, 43)

PARTICIPANTS: SUSTAINABLE HOUSES

Nicolai Bo Andersen

Nanna Claudius Bergø

Elisabeth Bloch

Victor Boye Julebæk

Yngvild Wormdal Lund

Anders Møller

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

Archives that holds historical building drawings:

– His Majesty The King’s Reference Library

– Local archives (search via www.arkiv.dk)

– Municipal departments of construction permits (search via www.filarkiv.dk or www.weblager.dk)

– Municipal archives (in Danish ”Stadsarkiver” e.g. Københavns Stadsarkiv)

– National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet)

– National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst, Den Kongelige Kobberstiksamling)

– Royal Danish Library (Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Kunstbiblioteket)

– The Danish National Archives (Rigsarkivet)

Digitized resources that contains building drawings:

– Arkitekten: https://arkiv.arkitekten.dk/

– Danmarks Tekniske Kulturarv: https://tekniskkulturarv.dk/

– Ingeniøren, Den Tekniske Forenings Tidsskrift etc. https://danmarkshistorien.ing.dk/titles/

Danish historical photo databases:

– Arbejdermuseets arkiv:

https://abm.reindex.net/ABA/main/Landing.php

– Danmarks Tekniske Kulturarv: https://tekniskkulturarv.dk/photos

– Den Kongelige Fotografisamling: https://kgl-fotosamling.kongernessamling.dk/ login/welcome.jspx

– Det Kongelige Bibliotek: http://www5.kb.dk/editions/any/2009/jul/editions/da/

– FynskeBilleder: https://fynskebilleder.dk/

– Jernbanekilder:

http://jernbanekilder.dk/login/welcome.jspx

– Kbhbilleder: www.kbhbilleder.dk

– Lokalarkivernes fotosamlinger: www.arkiv.dk

– Museet for Søfarts billedarkiv: https://billedarkiv.mfs.dk/fotoweb/

– Nationalmuseets digitale samlinger: https://samlinger.natmus.dk/assetbrowse

– Aarhusbilleder: https://aarhusbilleder.dk/login/welcome.jspx

Text by Nicolai Bo Andersen, Nanna Claudius Bergø, Victor Boye Julebæk, Yngvild Wormdal Lund and Anders Møller.

Digital edition 2o25

First published in print in 2o24 by The Royal Danish Academy – Cultural Heritage, Transformation and Conservation / Centre for Sustainable Building Culture

Editors: Nicolai Bo Andersen, Victor Boye Julebæk and Yngvild Wormdal Lund

Layout: Yngvild Wormdal Lund

Peer Review: Thomas Bertelsen

ISBN: 978-87-783o-92o-4

Typeface: Mercure