AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.12.1994, Page 56

ENGLISH SUMMARY
Ths issue of AVS focusses on exten-
sions in their various shapes and
forms.
PAGE 10 THOUGHTS ON BUILD-
INGSAND EXTENSIONS
Architect Hjörleifur Stefánsson writes
about extensions to buildings of his-
toric interest, and the varying ap-
proaches to such extensions. He con-
demns the tendency of architects to
wish to impress their own personali-
ties upon the extensions they design
to existing building, without taking
account of the original character of the
building. Protected buildings of his-
toric interest, he says, are not the
place for experiments in provocative
architecture.
PAGE 15 EXTENSIONS FROM AN
ENGINEER’S POINT OF VIEW
Construction engineer Grímur
Jónsson writes about technical prob-
lems which can arise in connection
with extensions. This include such fac-
tors as supporting the existing struc-
ture against possible collapse, the
additional weight of extra storeys on
the existing structure, problems of
leakage during construction of an ex-
tra floor, the capacity of piping sys-
tems, air condítioning and extra strain
on electrical systems.
PAGE 22 VIEWS ON EXTENSIONS
Architect Pétur H. Ármannsson dis-
cusses the different philosophies of
architects regarding extensions, with
reference to lcelandic examples, such
as an extension to the National Bank
(a neo-classical building) designed by
Gunnlaugur Halldórsson in function-
alist style in the 1940s, which was
greatly controversial at the time. The
same architect designed an extension
to the building at Bessastaðir (now the
presidential residence) which com-
bines functionalist tendencies with
respect for the style of the existing
building. The author concludes by
saying that no extension should be
built until after careful consideration
of the existing building, and that, for a
building to be art, it must be the prod-
uct of creative processes.
PAGE 26 AÐALSTRÆTI 2- VESTUR-
GATA 1
Architect Manfreð Vilhjálmsson de-
scribes his design for renovation of the
two adjacent old buildings in down-
town Reykjavík at the above ad-
dresses. One dates from 1855, the
other from 1905. The houses are to be
restored to their original condition, or
their state in their „finest hour,“ and
used as exhibition space and a tour-
ist information centre. The plan is for
a glass building to link the two exist-
ing houses, providing a covered
square for events.
PAGE 28 EXTENSIONS
Architect Manfreð Skúlason mentions
various examples of buildings which
„grew“ overyears and centuries, with-
out any revolutionary change of build-
ing materials. The advent of modern-
ism, however, led to a conviction that
an extension need not bow to the rules
of the existing building. It is often sim-
pler to move to a more convenient
building than change the present one,
but, for instance, it makes sense to
add modern conveniences to older
houses, so that they remain habitable.
The author points out that it may be
uneconomical to build on to existing
homes, as this involves various pub-
lic levies on the property.
PAGE 33 A SCHOOL IN A TIGHT
PLACE
The article focusses on the problems
of the Reykjavík Grammar School (built
in the mid-19th century), which has no
space available to building extra fa-
cilities for students. By contrast, the
Grammar School at Akureyri, north
lceland, was allocated a spacious plot
of land when originally built. This has
sufficed for building several more
school buildings, as the number and
needs of the students have increased.
PAGE 34 EXTENSION TO THE AS-
MUNDUR SVEINSSON MUSEUM
Architect Pétur H. Ármannsson de-
scribes Manfreð Vilhjálmsson’s addi-
tion to the Ásmundur Sveinsson Mu-
seum, which is situated in a highly
unusual building designed by the art-
ist himself as his home and studio. This
addition has enlarged the exhibition
space of the museum, while falling dis-
creetly in with the original design.
PAGE 36 PROPOSAL FOR AN EX-
TENSION: AÐALSTRÆTI 44, AKUR-
EYRI
The house in question was built about
1840, in the old part of Akureyri, and
is a protected building. The owner
plans to restore the house to its origi-
nal condition, remove an existing ex-
tension, and build a new one. This is
to have higher ceiling space, but with-
out overwhelming the original struc-
ture. The design has been approved
by the Building Preservation Council.
PAGE 38 THE SCULPTURE GAR-
DEN AT THE ÁSMUNDUR SVEINS-
SON MUSEUM
Kolbrún Oddsdóttir writes about the
enlargement and improvement of the
sculpture garden of the Ásmundur
Sveinsson Museum (see above, p.34).
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