There seems to be no particular trend in the Europa Nostra picks, on the contrary, they represent diversity. The recipients of awards span from the neo-classic architecture of Domus Academica in Norway, the functional style of a Danish gas station and Porthania in Finland, a typical railway town in Sweden, a late 19th century orangey and archaeological research about the first centuries after Christ.
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Gas Station in Skovshoved, Denmark The architect Arne Jacobsen's Gas Station from 1938 is built in his characteristic functional style. Particularly the 'toadstool roof' protecting drivers when filling the car with gas from rain and wind is interesting. The building is white-tiled, and is the only Danish gas station that is listed Grade 1.
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Research project, ”Illerup Ådal”, Denmark
Europa Nostra recognises thirty years of archaeological research on more than 15.000 artefacts found in Illerup Ådal near Århus. Archaeologist Jørgen Ilkjær and his team have communicated their results about European society in the first centuries AD in both scientific works and popular literature. Link to Moesgaard Museum |
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The Orangey at Gisselfeld Monastery, Denmark
The World Exhibition in London in 1851 presented an impressive orangey called the “Crystal Palace". This exotic building inspired Europeans to build glasshouses. Count Danneskiold-Samsøe’s British wife was passionate about plants and flowers, so the count built her an Orangey in the so-called Parade House of Gisselfeld Monastery in 1878. Today the building is open to the public and historical plants are sold here. |
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Porthania in Helsinki, Finland The Porthania building is part of the University of Helsinki built in 1949. Architect Aarne Ervi was among the pioneers in the use of concrete elements in Finnish design, and the Porthania is the first sizeable structure in Helsinki to have its facades and intermediate floors built with prefabricated elements. |
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Domus Academica in Oslo, Norway
This university building is popularly referred to as the Clock building due to a giant clock that stands in the window sill of the secretary’s office facing Karl Johan St. Rumor has it that the author Henrik Ibsen himself used to stop by this clock during his daily stroll to set his watch by it. This classic building was completed in 1852 and was the most important of the three University buildings, as it housed the university rector and the ceremonial hall. The Norwegian parliament used the Hall for meetings for an eleven-year period until the parliament was completed. |
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Eslöv Civic Hall in Sweden
There are about 16,800 inhabitants (2006) in this town in the southern part of Sweden. Scandinavian etnography students visit Eslöv as it is a prototype of a pictoresque station town from the late 19th century featuring many designated historic buildings. The civic hall is perhaps the most ambitious post-war building in Sweden. It was completed in 1957 by architect Hans Asplund and is a meeting place for a wide range of cultural activities, including the annual Blues Festival. Read about Eslöv here (English) and the civic hall (Swedish). |
Birgit O'Sullivan
- 26. april 2007
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