Scan Magazine | Architect of the Month | Denmark
Photo: Rasmus Hjortshøj, courtesy of Danish Architecture Center
Architect of the Month , Denmark
Rebeauty
– the new Nordic approach to reusing building components Reusing discarded building components can result in not just economic and environmental benefits, but in aesthetically and culturally enhanced architecture. Despite challenges, this is the conclusion of a major research project completed by Vandkunsten Architects. This summer, the Danish firm is exhibiting five beautiful concepts for repurposing building materials at the Venice Architecture Biennale. By Signe Hansen
As part of the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, visitors can currently experience a fascinating and somewhat unusual display of exterior and interior architectural elements. One is a stylish metal façade made in reshaped ventilation ducts, another 100 | Issue 113 | June 2018
a distinct interior wall pieced together from old wooden floors, and a third a rustic exterior cladding of patinated roof tiles. The ambition with this exhibition is to show how dismantled building components can be reused, not just for the obvious purpose of saving materials,
energy and money, but also to add a distinctive aesthetic and cultural dimension to a building. “We’ve called the project this is based on Rebeauty, because our focus has been to create architectural value and beauty. That’s what we, as a firm, are known for and so, while a lot of firms work more generally with reuse, that’s our specific focus,” explains Søren Nielsen, architect MAA and partner at Vandkunsten Architects. “Our ambition is not to conceal the reused materials but to make them look so striking that they are immediately noticed and become a defining part of the project’s identity.”