Peter Zumthor rescues Norwegian mining at Mine Zinc Museum Allmannajuvet
- Photography: Aldo Amoretti
The prestigious Swiss architect Peter Zumthor – 2009 Pritzker Prize winner – paid his own particular tribute to subway mining last year. Commissioned by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, he designed a museum in Sauda that commemorates the almost forgotten history of the 19th century pioneers who settled in the Allmanna Canyon, in the southwest of the country.
The zinc mine began operating in 1882 under rudimentary conditions and was finally closed in 1899. The site where the miners had their barracks and washed the ore, in the middle of a rocky outcrop, is now a rest area on national highway 520. Zumthor’s project takes advantage of the remains of the past activity still visible in the landscape: the path that starts at the entrance of the mine, cutting the slope with support walls and bridges, or the foundations of the wooden platform from where the ore was dumped.
The complete facility consists of the museum itself, a cafeteria building, a service area with parking and toilets, and a set of paths and stairs.
His proposal includes these elements and is articulated in four structures that mark the old road to the mine, giving rise to a modest and at the same time picturesque open-air museum.
Given the steep terrain, all the buildings were prefabricated in the neighboring village of Saudasjøen, 4 kilometers from Sauda, and then assembled in Allmannajuvet. The exterior supports are made of creosote-impregnated plywood, a nod to the traditional method of preserving this material, while the walls were made of 18 mm plywood and jute boards, coated with acrylic material (PMMA). The dark-painted interiors mimic the feeling of being inside the galleries. Dim overhead lights barely illuminate the daily objects of the miners, immersing us immediately in that atmosphere of gloom, claustrophobia and fear of collapse.
With their slatted framework and light weight, the exterior appearance of the towers is imposing, almost giving the impression of being defensive installations. This approach of integration into the orography demanded a very precise work in the calculations and anchoring of each structure.
The small parking lot was built with natural Hardanger stone just a few meters from the river. From here a new flight of stairs links to the old path and leads to the cafeteria. Although it has also been given a dark atmosphere, its panoramic windows and light-toned furnishings mitigate the museum’s suffocating effect. Next to it, we find a shelter or meeting point from which guided tours depart to the interior of the mine.
This Norwegian museum has the unmistakable seal of Peter Zumthor: sobriety, respect for the environment (in this case, natural and historical) and functionality. Undoubtedly, an additional tourist attraction for the beautiful Allmanna Canyon.