Roskilde’s Viking Ship Museum Project Welcomes NIRAS for Heritage Conservation

Roskilde’s Viking Ship Museum Project Welcomes NIRAS for Heritage Conservation

(IN BRIEF) Roskilde, Denmark, is set to build a new Viking Ship Museum to preserve historic vessels from extreme weather conditions and transform the old ship hall into a functional space. The project aims to protect Denmark’s Viking heritage amid rising water levels and unpredictable weather. Collaboration between multiple firms, including Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects, will result in a wooden museum construction symbolizing a connection to nature and history. The existing ship hall, built in 1969, will undergo a careful transformation to preserve its architectural significance while opening up facades to the beach, creating a city focal point. The project’s winners and proposals will be exhibited at the Viking Ship Hall from January 12th to January 28th, 2024.

(PRESS RELEASE) COPENHAGEN, 15-Jan-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — NIRAS, a value-driven, multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy, announces that in a collaborative effort with Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects, Marianne Levinsen Landscape, Christoffer Harlang Architects, Aaen Engineering, JAC Studios, a new Viking Ship Museum is set to emerge in Roskilde, securing these historic vessels from extreme weather conditions while transforming their former abode into a new functional space.

One of the primary objectives of this transformative project is to safeguard Roskilde’s Viking ships, preserving their unique cultural heritage amid rising water levels and increasingly unpredictable weather conditions. Danish Cultural Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt emphasized the importance of this endeavor, stating, “Recently, we have had extreme weather conditions that once again underline the need for a new home for the Viking Ships in Roskilde. Therefore, it’s such good news that the project is now one step further in the process. We need to protect the unique cultural heritage that the Viking Ships represent and display the ships in a way where we can all learn more about a very central part of our history.”

NIRAS, now part of this project, expresses its enthusiasm for contributing to the preservation of Denmark’s Viking history. Claus Wessel Andersen, Department Manager at NIRAS, stated, “The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde is a project that concerns a lot of different people. One might have been there with the family or with their school class. Therefore, I really think it’s cool to be a part of preserving and building new conditions for exactly that.”

The selection of project winners was a meticulous process, involving a committee comprising representatives from the Viking Ship Museum’s board members, the Roskilde city council, and professional judges with architectural or engineering backgrounds.

The new Viking Ship Museum will feature a wooden construction, symbolizing a connection to nature, history, and life on the harbor. Lene Tranberg, partner, and co-owner of Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects, expressed her excitement, saying, “As architects, it is a dream coming true that we are now going to work in the field between protection and renewal of an exceptional cultural heritage, that the Viking ships are and that the new Viking Ship Hall represents.”

“We need to bring all our experts into play at this project, but of course, it needs extraordinary skills to construct the hall in wood,” as stated by Mads H. Jørgensen, the future project leader at NIRAS.

Additionally, the existing ship hall, constructed in 1969 by architect Erik Christian Sørensen, will undergo a gentle transformation to acquire a new purpose. This process involves careful considerations to preserve the hall’s architectural significance while opening up its facades to the beach, creating a focal point for the city.

The winning project and other proposals will be on display at the Viking Ship Hall from January 12th to January 28th, 2024.

Thoughtful Restoration of Historic Ship Hall

Originally designed in 1969 by architect Erik Christian Sørensen, who drew inspiration from international architectural trends and employed concrete in a pioneering, unstructured manner, the 55-year-old ship hall is set for a transformation with a new purpose.

Reflecting on the restoration efforts, Malene Hjortsø Kyndesen, partner and architect at Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects, remarked, “Creating solutions for the transformation of the ship hall, we have been extremely careful. It has been rewarding to work with such an architectural piece that has a beautiful and very obvious spatial structure with a clear hierarchy, that makes it possible to open up the facades towards the beach.”

This revitalization of the building not only creates a communal focal point within the city but also safeguards it from coastal elements. The winning design and other project proposals will be on display at the Viking Ship Hall from January 12th to January 28th, 2024.

Media contacts:

Claus Wessel Andersen
Head of Department
Allerød, Denmark
+45 2761 3929
E-mail

Kirsten Engholm Henriksen
Vice President
Allerød, Denmark
+45 4020 3246
E-mail

Mads H. Jørgensen
Project Director
Allerød, Denmark
+45 2680 3172
E-mail

SOURCE: NIRAS A/S