Glomfjord salpeterfabrikker (Glomfjord Potassium Nitrate Factory)
Description
Haugvik, Glomfjord
Several buildings were erected in a row at the upper factory premises of the company Norsk Hydro in Haugvik. Some buildings were new but some were old, but renovated. In addition the "German halls" were given new façades. Concerning this project, the architects' assignment was to bestow the entire complex with a "certain independent character". The commissioned architect was Henning Astrup from the architecture firm Thorvald and Henning Astrup. The overall layout photographs from the 1950s and 1960s show a magnificent, aesthetic and well-designed complex. It is dominated by the contrast between two types of industrial architecture. On the one hand it has large, closed and clearly defined building shells made of white painted/white plastered concrete with dark roofs. Yet on the other hand, it has an open production complex with pipelines, production tanks and metal storage tanks. The complex demonstrates this type of contrast between the open and closed complex, but also demonstrates a contrast between the horizontal and vertical elements in the architecture, where the closed part of the complex has a horizontal quality and the open part has a mostly vertical quality.
The two electrolysis halls, each measuring 105 x 42 metres, were completed in 1949, and the third in 1961, this one measures 70 x 36 metres. The compressor hall was ready for production in 1949 and was the same size as the electrolysis halls but taller. All of the structures were built of weight bearing steel construction, such as steel columns with truss girders, which support the slightly slanted roof. This construction was exposed on the interior. White concrete walls with vertical daylight openings surround the halls. All of the halls had a central section with a raised roof and clerestory windows. This architecture is characterised by large and simple contours that have a sanitary quality. The point of departure was function, use of material, proportions and detailing. All of these traits were combined to create a unified aesthetic entity.
The two electrolysis halls, each measuring 105 x 42 metres, were completed in 1949, and the third in 1961, this one measures 70 x 36 metres. The compressor hall was ready for production in 1949 and was the same size as the electrolysis halls but taller. All of the structures were built of weight bearing steel construction, such as steel columns with truss girders, which support the slightly slanted roof. This construction was exposed on the interior. White concrete walls with vertical daylight openings surround the halls. All of the halls had a central section with a raised roof and clerestory windows. This architecture is characterised by large and simple contours that have a sanitary quality. The point of departure was function, use of material, proportions and detailing. All of these traits were combined to create a unified aesthetic entity.
Year of construction
1947-1953
Architect
Thorvald and Henning Astrup
Client
Norsk Hydro A/S
Building Type
Factory complex
Construction System / Materials
Concrete
steel
Keywords
manufacturing plant
concrete
steel
Literature
Byggekunst 2/1953 pp. 28-29.
Hage, Ingebjørg: "Industriens katedraler - fabrikkarkitekturen i Glomfjord" in Meløy -den stille fjerding, årbok no. 20, Meløy Historielag 2004, s. 29-42.
Hage, Ingebjørg: "Industriens katedraler - fabrikkarkitekturen i Glomfjord" in Meløy -den stille fjerding, årbok no. 20, Meløy Historielag 2004, s. 29-42.
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