New exhibition celebrates the long-lasting Danish vacation residence

A brand new exhibition at Aalborg’s Utzon Centre, ‘Vacation House’, chronicles the earlier, present, and upcoming of the long-lasting Danish sommerhus. The exhibition opens with a seem on the beginnings of Scandinavian subsequent residence tradition, a number of generations in the past, again when escaping the town in the summertime months was the shield of the wealthy and privileged. Steadily, alternatively, Denmark’s method to the constructive points of second households was democratised within the preliminary 50 % of the twentieth century, with the introduction of needed vacation seasons and the rise of prefabricated kits that launched the will of the Danish trip residence in simply arrive at of considerable swathes of the populace. 

This seemingly immutable cultural achieve is now getting by itself on the coronary coronary heart of great debates about sustainable structure, inclusivity, and creativity.

‘Sommerhus’ (Trip House) on the Utzon Centre, Aalborg. Photos: Laura Stamer

This can be a complete present, a single that goes all the way in which again once more to the 18th-century origins of the affiliation amongst rural retreats and effectively being and wellbeing. Essential examples of the type are represented with new footage, from Anton Rosen’s 1917 getaway home at Vejby Strand, the so-called ‘Truancy Cottage’, through to Arne Jacobsen’s personal modernist trip dwelling in Sejerø Bay. Although Rosen’s composition was neo-classical in kind, it was a temple of simplicity, not grandeur. It turned identified in the middle of the nation for its ingenious householders and guests and helped cement the web site hyperlink regarding the summerhouse and creativity.

Arne Jacobsen’s summer season family, 1937. Pictures: Kira Ursem

Jacobsen would use his very personal property, ‘Knarken’, as a space for structural and substance experimentation, identical to Vilhelm Wohlert did along with his annexe to Danish physicist Niels Bohr’s vacation break dwelling in Tibirke Lunde, carried out in 1958.

This box-like construction could be wholly opened as much as the elements all through the summer season months. 

Nils Bohr’s summer season residence annexe by Vilhelm Wolert. Pictures Thomas Loof

Further new examples contain architect Claus Bonderup’s particular person beachside residence, concluded in 1975. Half-buried within the sand, it was a location for experimental design and dwelling.

As {the catalogue} notes: ‘Inside, the house was designed with white partitions, flooring and family furnishings and, on condition that Claus Bonderup in no way does elements by halves, he wearing white, drank solely white wine and drove a white automotive or truck.’

Claus Bonderup’s summer season season family, 1975. Photos: Keld Ejsing Duun

The opposite crucial side of summer season season-household tradition was a brand new regard for minimalism, not simply when it comes to kind, but in addition of have an effect on.

The latter is of ever-increasing relevance in an age of promptly diminishing purely pure assets, and the exhibit addresses this basic paradox – how can subsequent homeownership be squared with these stark realities?

‘Sommerhus’ on the Utzon Centre, Aalborg. Pictures: Per Bille

In 1977, the author Klaus Rifbjerg commissioned a author’s cabin in Skagen from regional architect Alfred Hansen. This straightforward black picket residence is simply one of many blueprints for the reductivist method that’s now favoured, spurred on by infinite Instagram accounts and idle targets.

There are different additional modern-day illustrations of modest modern buildings within the exhibition, equivalent to works by Pihlmann Architects, Kim Lenschow, Karen Kjærgaard, Mette Lange Arkitekter, and OS Arkitekter. The ‘tiny home’ movement has positively reshaped the aspirational character of Danish vacation getaway homeownership, due to good design and new development options.  

Klein A45, by Bjarke Ingels and Søren Rose, put in within the Utzon Heart’s courtyard. Photos: Laura Stamer

The Utzon Coronary heart was Jørn Utzon’s previous type, accomplished proper after his dying in 2008 by his son Kim. The exhibition sprawls throughout the beneficiant gallery areas and courtyards and the size of the establishing licensed the curators to contain two complete-dimension variations within the exhibition.

Exterior within the principal courtyard is ‘Klein A45’, a 30 sq m prefab produced by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and inside designer Søren Rose. The pyramid-formed composition, which coincidentally matches the flowery roof-lights of Utzon’s establishing, gained the 2019 American Institute of Structure Modest Space Challenge Award. Readers even have an opportunity to guide an in a single day preserve in A45. 

The gallery houses yet one more vacation family precept by Ingels, the Zelt Cabin, a cross involving a cabin and a tent. Equally tiny homes ended up developed by Rose’s company Klein, which is looking to transform remarkably crafted architect-built buildings into vacation trip retreats for all.

Lastly, that lofty intention can also be the focus of this present, which tries to current how a brand new era of designers is addressing inequality, about-scaled growth, and land and provides use. The connection involving structure and panorama has usually been fraught, however design selection and innovation have to be merged with a light-weight contact and a smaller footprint.

Zelt Cabin, by Bjarke Ingels and Søren Rose. Pictures: Laura Stamer

On the proof of this exhibition, the Danish vacation getaway property will under no circumstances scale back its sturdy seen entice – it’s architectural daydreaming of the best get.

Because the curators conclude, if we attempt to ‘dwell smaller, dream main,’ then these two worlds can carry on to co-exist. §