kk Letter
Photo by Suste Bonnén
kk letter archive
A New Home for Kolonihaven....
Plotting the first foundations
The Louisiana Museum, Humlebæk Denmark
Photo: Kirsten Kiser
The future site seen through the Giacometti Room.
This is a dream come true for me and it is with happiness, relief and pride that I announce that KOLONIHAVEN The Architecture Park, and the Kolonihaven Foundation collection of drawings and models, is moving north of Copenhagen to a permanent home at the world famous Louisiana Museum.
Happiness; because I love the Louisiana Museum and what it stands for, and I could not think of a better parent for my “babies”.
Relief; because my struggles are over and I can thank everybody who has helped me keep the project alive for the last six years.
Pride; because the project is finally getting the recognition it deserves and the construction of the tiny houses can continue in a beautiful location.
We did manage to built six of the tiny houses, but unfortunately the old location in Vallensbæk, south of Copenhagen, was too remote for the project to survive. Now, because of the Louisiana Museum, Kolonihaven will have a new exciting life and hopefully be a joy for the many visitors to the Museum.
With help from the Danish Ministry of Culture the five Vallensbæk houses will be moved in June and reassembled around the lake at the Louisiana Museum.
arcspace will follow the move and keep you up-to-date on the construction.
Photo: Kirsten Kiser
The lake at the Louisiana Museum.
It has been a long haul that started In 1994 when we, architect Christian Lund and I, invited a group of thirteen Internationally renowned architects to reinterpret the Kolonihavehus, or garden colony house, to celebrate Copenhagen as European Cultural Capital '96.
The design concept was for a future Architecture Park with a Danish theme and an International cast. The list of Internationally renowned architects who accepted the invitation was very impressive and a great honor for both of us.
The specifications were simple - 65 square feet and imagination - the designs by the architects, known more for designing museums and other large public commissions, are radically different; each house tells its own story that both amuses and provokes thoughts.
The traveling exhibition "The International Challenge", of original drawings and models, was first exhibited in 1996 at Arken Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, then in 1998 at Arkitekturmuseet in Stockholm, Sweden and the last time in 2000 at Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland.
The architects have always been invited to the opening celebrations and with each venue a new Internationally renowned architect has been invited to join the project. Ralph Erskine was invited for the Sweden exhibition and Frank O. Gehry for the Reykjavik exhibition.
Jonathan Becker, Vanity Fair photographer, has been documenting the opening festivities from the inauguration in1996. His documentation is part of the Kolonihaven Foundation collection.
An additional list of Internationally renowned architects have formally been invited to join the project; their Kolonihavehus designs will be included in the Louisiana collection when we receive them.
I will continue as the curator of the traveling exhibition and arcspace will continue adding the new projects to the digital catalog.
The project could never have become a reality without the support of many individuals and institutions.
My deepest gratitude go to the architects, Mario Botta, Ralph Erskine, Frank O. Gehry, Michael Graves, Heikkinen & Komonen, Arata Isozaki, Josef Paul Kleihues, Leon Krier, Henning Larsen, Richard Meier, Enric Miralles & Benedetta Tagliabue, Dominique Perrault, Richard Rogers, Aldo Rossi , Alvaro Siza and Søren Robert Lund, for their commitment and wonderful imaginative designs, and for not complaining when there was no construction in the Architecture Park.
I also want to thank Copenhagen Cultural Capital '96, Stockholm Cultural Capital '98, Reykjavik Cultural Capital ‘2000, the Municipality of Vallensbæk, the Danish Ministry of Culture, Margot and Thorvald Dreyers Fond, Gammel Dok - Danish Centre for Architecture , Arken Museum of Modern Art, Arkitekturmuseet, the Reykjavik Art Museum and Kolonihaven's many friends and sponsors in the construction industry whose help was indispensable.
Keeping it all together legally was not an easy task and I am forever grateful to Niels Fredsted, lawyer and member of the board of the Kolonihaven Foundation, for taking the time to do so.
Finally a very special thank you to Jacob Barnes, of Bryggeriet, for his patience when working with me on the catalogs, to Jens Lindhe, Danish architecture photographer, for photographing the models for the catalogs and for his addition of photographs to the Kolonihaven Foundation collection, and to Rimas , arcspace webmaster and partner, for always being there.
kk
Photo: Kirsten Kiser
Last Sunday, the Danish sun high in the sky, I visited Kolonihaven in Vallensbæk.
The Perrault glass house is always a favorite when the cherry tree in the center is in bloom.
Kolonihaven’s sponsors in the construction industry.
BygMestrene A/S
Lemming & Eriksson A/S F.R.I.
A. Walther Jensen A/S
Nellemann & Bjørnkjær
Bjarne Dam A/S
Brdr. Krüger Trædrejeri
Carl F A/S
Danogips A/S
DLH Gruppen
E. Pihl & Søn A/S
E. Nielsens Mekaniske Stenhuggeri
ER-SAHA OY, Finland
Flügger
Glasuld A/S
H+H Industri A/S
Icopal A/S
Ishøj A/S Danske Trådvarefabrik
Petersen Tegl Egernsund A/S
Rationel Vinduer A/S
Rheinzink
Rich. Müller A/S
Scanglas Saint-Gobain
Skandinavisk Jura-Kalk A/S
S.S. Rustfri A/S
Bilsby
Istak
Byko
Ikea
kk letter archive
