Arkitektúr og skipulag - 01.04.1992, Qupperneq 79

ENGLISH SUMM ARY
dicted all that had gone before. Extreme func-
tionalism in design, however, leads to lifeless
and pointless formalism. Although Functional-
ism was a breath of fresh air around 1920, it
soon declined into unimaginative arrange-
ments of cubes. Modernism became a fash-
ion, and architects hence played an active
role in creating the unhuman environment of
modern society. The worst of the Modernist
ideas, as illustrated e.g. in plans made in
1965 to totally redevelop the Old Town in
Reykjavík and build motorways in all direc-
tions from it, were never put into practice in
lceland. But blind Modernism still exists, and
destruction continues without objection. We
must not be misled by professional gloss and
artistic flourishes intoaccepting conceptswhich
are essentially wrong.
Page 59 Style and Content
Architect Geirharður Þorsteinsson points out
an inconsistency in the development of build-
ings, with reference to the Postmodernist phase.
While the exterior often reflects the "referen-
tial" characteristic of Postmodernism, the inte-
rior is often quite unaffected by these influ-
ences. Not until "destructivism" appears do
we see departures from functional, construc-
tional and ornamental norms. Geirharður sug-
gests that the exterior appearance of buildings
follows fashion, while the interior develops in
harmony with changing lifestyle, philosophy
and technology. He sees the referential style
not as a fully-developed style, but as a step on
the path of Modernism to Destructivism.
Page 61 Style in Furniture
Interior Designer Kjartan Jónsson writes about
a new textbook on style in furniture, written by
Helgi Hallgrímsson, furniture designer, who
taughtattheReykjavíkTechnical School 1970-
84.
Page 62 A Natural History Museum in
lceland
Final-year project by Sigurður Gústafsson at
the Oslo University of Architecture. The author
suggests the construction of a natural-history
museum on theoutermost partof the Seltjarnar-
nes peninsula, which has hitherto been a
natural bird sanctuary. The museum consists of
several elements around an axis facing the
sea. Exhibition rooms are half-underground,
and the car opark is concealed by a turf and
rock wall. Through transparent walls, the rust-
ing "wreck" of a ship is seen, and the whole
design reflects the idea of a shipwreck (e.g.
sloping floor). The developmentof life is shown,
culminating in domestic aanimals. Materials
include concrete foundations, sheet steel, gal-
vanised steel.
Page 65 Developments in Modern
Planning
Architect Sigurður Einarsson discusses the
concept of the city, not as a "tree" but as a
"semi-network," within which thereare far more
options for variation. He points out that after
the turning-point in planning in 1965, many
planners starte to draw on historical and
traditional themes. In Denmark, a new move-
ment tended towards low-rise areas inspired
by the Danish village tradition. The author
describes Ruth Glass's redevelopment plan for
Middlesbrough, which comprises many differ-
ent "layers" which do not coincide. The inter-
play of "layers," such as in La Villette or Peter
Eisenmann's Romeo and Juliet, gives the con-
cepts of discord and conflict a positive mean-
ing.
Page 68 Competition for a Plan for
Bessastaðir
A decision was made in 1990 to revise the
plan forthe Bessastaðirdistrict, whose popula-
tion has grown from 600 in 1984 to 1,200
atpresent. Thecompetition called for ideasfor
development in the town centre, and also
ideas for the future development of the presi-
dential residence and its estate, which is
within the district. Two entries shared the first
prize: onefrom landscapearchitectRagnhildur
Skarp-héðinsdóttir and her brother, architect
Ogmundur Skarphéðinsson, the ofher from
Batteríið (architects Jón Ólafur Ólafsson and
Sigurður Einarsson). The former emphasises
the interplay of man and nature, and aims for
simplicity. The latter is based on the idea of an
east-west axis, and includes the suggestion of
a bridge from Reykjavik.
Page 71 Introducing a Designer: Jónina
Guónadóttir
Jónína Guðnadóttir has been a leading potter
for over 30 years. She has specialised in clay
reliefs, as well as sculpture, and also works in
glass, concrete, etc. Shefeelsthatworksofart )
for buildings should be a part of the planning I
from the start. In practice, works are often
selected at the last minute and at random. She
feels that clay is often seen as less "artistic"
than other materials, but expresses her belief
that prejudices are grdually giving way to a
more open-minded view.
Page 73 Competition for a Design for
Branches of the Agricultural Bank of
lceland
The Agricultural Bank of lceland held the
competition in 1991, with the aim of finding a
new look for the bank's branches. The design
must aim to reinforce the image of the bank as
a solid instituion, as well as creating the
atmosphere of a stimulating working environ-
ment. First prize went to Batteríið (architects
Jón Olafur Olafsson and Sigurður Einarsson).
Page 76 Correct Use of Timber
Eiríkur Þorsteinsson writes about a project to
encourage correct use of timber, a joint enter-
prise organised by the Building Research
Institute and two Do-it-Yourself stores in
Reykjavík. There has been a tendency to look
upon timber as an inferior material for build-
ing, but this is largely due to ignorance of
wood quality and how to handle it for the best
results. A booklet has been published, which
gives guidelines on timber standards, water-
proofing of timber, etc.
Page 78 Especially If They are Pure
Fantasy - the Art of Siguróur Árni
Sigurósson
Auður Olafsdóttir writes about Sigurður Arni
Sigurðsson, who held his first one-man show in
Reykjavík last year. He was born in Akureyri
in 1963, and graduated from the lcelandic
School of Arts and Crafts in 1987, then
studied at the Ecole Nationale d'Art de Cergy-
Pontoise. He now works in Paris, and his first
one-man show in France opens in April.
Page 80 The Moulding of a Young
Architect in Postmodernist Times
Architect Tryggvi Tryggvason takes a light-
hearted view of his initiation into architectural
studies in Copenhagen in 1976, in theshadow
of the '68 generation. But fresh breezes began
to be felt, such as Robert Venturi's Complexity
and Contradiction in Architecture. A design
by Henning Larsen for the Foreign Ministry in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was a turning point, as
it was firmly based upon Islamic architectural
traditions , rather than simply transplanting
European concepts. This opens up the way to
regional influences upon architectural solu-
tions. The author feels that Tage Lyneborg has
been a strong influence upon the younger
generation of artists. Lyneborg's own most
important influences are neoclassicism and
American wooden architecture. The author
feels that Postmodernism has led to some
disastrous "neoclassicism" reminiscent of
Fascism. He discusses two of his own interior-
design projects in Postmodernist spirit, i.e. a
parquet showroom, and the entrance to an
advertising agency. He discusses the work of
Mario Botta in Switzerland, and suggests that
architects can learn from his success in region-
alist style. The aim must be to create an apt
environment for the present, without simply
copying the clichés of the past. To illustrate his
feelings about the aims of architecture today,
he quotes "Architecture Must Blaze" (in Eng-
lish) by Wolf D. Prixand HelmutSwiczinsky on
pages 85-86.
Page 89 Reykjavík House by Ar-
narhóll
A project by Auður Hrönn Guðmundsdóttir at
the University of Karlsruhe, under the supervi-
sion of Professor Jo Coenen. The "Reykjavík
House" cultural centre would be located atthe
very heart of Reykjavík, preferably in connec-
tion with other projects to nurture activity in the
centre, such as various new activities around
the old harbour, where space has become
available. It would fit into the existing patterns
of buildings, and provide a focus for an
extension of the role of Arnarhóll, a traditional
site for open-air concerts.
Page 92 On the Drawing Board:
Annexe to the Akureyri Grammar
School
In a limited competition held last year for an
annexe to the Akureyri Grammar School, the
entry submitted by Gísli Kristinsson and Póll
Tómasson won. The school's teaching space
needs to be doubled from present facilities, in
order to meet future requirements of a larger
student body. The school is at present housed
in two buildings, a turn-of-the-century wooden
building and a Functionalist building of the
late 1960s. The design is made up of a main
building and a library, linking the existing
buildings which stand as "outposts" around
the school's centre. ■
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