Arkitema Project, Denmark, Europe

Nørre Vosborg, Vemb, West Jutland 2008 Arkitema Photos : Thomas Mølvig After restoration, conversion and extension by Arkitema, beautiful Nørre Vosborg manor is now an up-to-date hotel, cultural venue and conference centre, with a newly-built hotel wing and new design solutions for all of the manor's many different buildings. The architectural practice of Erik Einar Holm was responsible for the restoration and conversion of the manor house. The new hotel wing, designed by Arkitema, matches the largest of the complex's buildings in terms of volume. Despite its size and location, however, it does not compete for attention with the historical courtyard area and the main axis of the complex. To lower the impact of the hotel wing and avoid an imbalance in the historical structure, we sought to use alternative materials in relation to the stud buildings' dominant red brick and thatched roofs. We used wood, which satisfied the relevant criteria, and which is an unpretentious material alongside the frugal red-brick buildings. Wood pervades the entire building, even the roof, which is clad with planks of radial-sawn Siberian larch, laid in a clapboard pattern. The hotel is characterised by a roof without dormer windows. We have lifted and opened the clapboard pattern, and thereby enabled the creation of a belt in the roof surface which integrates the openings necessary for habitation in the roof storey. By locating the openings to the terraces in this half-open belt, we reduce and dissolve the visual impression of 'holes' in the otherwise homogenous roof surface. Nørre Vosborg - Building Information Address: Nørre Vosborg, Vembvej, Vemb Size: Hotel wing, 1444m², with 37 double rooms Client: Realea Construction: 2008 Engineer: OBH-Gruppen Nørre Vosborg images / information from Arkitema Copenhagen Buildings Danish Architect Offices Odense Building Fyn Building