Forever Changed

The exhibition consists of three architectural interventions developed specifically for the exhibition space. Each of the three interventions explores local building cultures, material ecologies, and manufacturing practices from both a theoretical and a concrete, hands-on perspective. Together, they create a new atmosphere in the existing space.

The premise is that the planet is a limited ecological system where continued exponential growth is a biophysical impossibility. Since Denmark already has the highest number of square meters per capita, the architect's tasks in the future will lie in the reuse and transformation of existing buildings rather than constructing new ones. The exhibition is built around three narratives.

The materials narrative concerns wood, clay, and straw, their physical properties, tectonic division, and materially present effects. The boards are joined with screws and dowels, the clay is cast into blocks that have been stacked, and the straw has been mounted with round poles on a wall. The wood comes from a sawmill in Espergærde, the pipes are from Store Heddinge, while the clay bricks are made from surplus soil from a construction site in Nærheden.

The cultural-historical narrative deals with how these materials have been used historically. Both in traditional half-timbered construction and in the Copenhagen borough houses, wood, clay, and straw are readily available materials that are easy to process and maintain. Transitions, spaces within spaces, and division into layers are all well-known devices in traditional building culture.

The spatial narrative consists of three spatial situations: a sluice that one passes through, an aedicula where one can linger, and a lining that defines the edge of a room. The entrance hall illustrates the possibility of adaptation to wind and weather, the clay room points to the potential for varied use throughout the year, and the straw wall addresses retrofit as a transformation strategy. The area of the aedicula corresponds to the minimum living space per person necessary to live a life of basic dignity.