Nordic Spirit Pavilion
The brief for this project was to design a shelter for the “Nordic Spirit,” a late 19th century fishing boat in the National Nordic Museum’s permanent collection.
The forms of Norwegian fishing huts on stilts as well as the scaffolding of smaller scale boat building inspired this design. The combination of these forms culminated in a ridge beam and poles of shipbuilding with the fishing hut gable and regular column grid, with a sunken sea inside the enclosure to make it appear like the boat was floating when one exited the musuem . To further emulate the diagonal supports seen in both precedents, the hut enclosure has diagonal cross members. These ideas were the impetus for the design.
Construction Hierarchy
Sunken base – Ridge beam – Gable Grid – Cross Members – Standing Seam Roof
The south side of the pavilion follows the line of the fjord form of the museum’s main thoroughfare and skylight. The ramp flowing down the east and north side leads to the sunken gravel area where one can better appreciate Nordic Spirit’s hull. On the other side that’s on grade, people have the opportunity to appreciate the inside of the hull as well as the head and tail. Then there are open gathering and garden spaces to the south and west of the pavilion.
The more randomly formed roof cross members contrast with the regularity of the columns and beams. The members are set into the beam to contrast with the vertical cross members as well as to create two interlocking enclosures: an orthogonal vs a diagonal.
Structure with Roof Removed
Pavilion Side Along Main Fjord Path
Details
Cross Members In Rafters
Rafter Connection to Ridge Beam
Diagonal Support Connection to Ridge Beam
Roof Cross Member Inset
Vertical Cross Member Connection
Column Footing
Process
