Home2

Hydrogen Storage Facility in Sweden Has Reached Halfway Point in Construction

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 23, 2022

Hydrogen Storage Facility in Sweden Has Reached Halfway Point in Construction

A rock cavern for green hydrogen storage in Luleå, northern Sweden, is in construction and Vattenfall Media Relations announces that the hydrogen storage facility in Sweden has reached halfway point in construction.

Right now the steel lining is being installed inside Svartöberget. The storage facility, which will be an important part of the value chain for fossil-free iron and steel production, is planned to be in operation by the summer and runs tests there until 2024.

The initiative was launched in 2016
The initiative was launched in 2016 and the hydrogen storage facility will play a very important role in the overall value chain for fossil-free iron and steel production. Production can take place without a storage facility, but storage provides the opportunity to vary the demand for electricity and ensure stable production. By producing hydrogen gas when there is a lot of electricity, for example when there is a lot of wind, and using stored hydrogen gas when the electricity system is under strain, will ensure production.

Construction works started in May 2021
Construction works started in May 2021. Vattenfall says that several parts of the pilot plant have been installed. This includes the pipelines to transport hydrogen gas to the storage facility, rock caverns and connecting tunnels, a ventilation shaft and the compressor that will pressurize the gas for storage.

Hydrogen Storage Facility in Sweden is Has Reached Halfway Point in Construction — HYBRIT wetgas storage, sketch. Illustration: Vannenfall AB

Related: The Danish Energy Island

Construction of the 100-cubic-meter (3,531 cu ft) rock cavern storage facility 30 meters below ground is done by Vattenfall AB in collaboration with Swedish steel company SSAB AB (STO:SSAB-A), iron ore miner Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB). The three owners invested around SEK 200 million (USD 21.4m/EUR 18.9m) in three equal parts, with the Swedish Energy Agency contributing just over SEK 52 million towards the hydrogen storage construction.

Impressing technology
“The various parts of the plant are now mostly in place,” the consortium said in a statement. “Rock caverns and connecting tunnels have been constructed in the rock and a ventilation shaft has been drilled from the top of the rock down to the upper part of the rock cavern.”

“The hydrogen storage facility has a stabilizing effect on the electrical system. It reduces the risk of the system overloading. We want to develop HYBRIT technology so that it is in line with the future electricity system with more weather-dependent electricity generation,” says Mikael Nordlander, Development Manager for Vattenfall’s industrial partnerships.

The cavern is being built via the so-called lined rock cavern (LRC) approach, which involves covering the walls of the cavern with a selected matter. The technology for storing gas in a lined rock cavern (LRC) is well proven and has been used in southern Sweden for about 20 years for storing natural gas. However, the technology is now taking another step forward as it’s being developed for the first time with hydrogen gas on a large pilot scale.

The first in the world
“What’s so fantastic about HYBRIT is just how many different innovative parts the initiative consists of. The hydrogen storage facility is a good example of how we’re testing and using innovations to achieve the goal of a completely fossil-free value chain, the first in the world,” says Martin Pei, Technical Director at SSAB.

The finished plant will contain hydrogen gas pressurized up to 250 bar.

Hydrogen Storage Facility in Sweden is Has Reached Halfway Point in Construction, written by Tor Kjolberg

The Great Norwegian Racing Driver Talent

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 22, 2022

0

The Great Norwegian Racing Driver Talent

The world’s three biggest Formula 1 teams have been following Dennis Hauger (b. 2003) closely for several years. Since his teens he has been beating the world’s fastest on the go-kart track. learn more about the great Norwegian racing driver talent.

Hauger was born in Oslo and raised in Aurskog. His parents bought him a quad bike when he was two, and he started driving cross bikes at the age of four. He began his karting career at the age of five, winning his first race at the age of eight.

The growing interest in the Norwegian is not without reason. The last season, the youngster has shown a very good performance and is well positioned to win the Formula 3 championship.

You might also like to read: Extreme Sports Week, Norway

Moving into international competition
After finishing 62 out of 70 national races on the podium the Norwegian moved into international competition in 2014. That year, Hauger claimed the ROK International title in the Mini category and followed it up the following year by claiming Mini category titles in the Vega Winter Trophy, the Italian CSAI Karting Championship and the WSK Champions Cup and Super Masters championships. In 2016, Hauger became the youngest ever champion to claim the DKM junior title and repeated this feat the following year to become the youngest DKM champion.

1200 meters of asphalt, black from worn rubber, winds its way across a field by Lake Garda in Italy. It’s the year 2017. The exhaust is low, like a blue haze. On the long sides, some teams have parked their trailers and formed a small village of white tents, where go-karts roll through the streets, engines run, spanners wrench against metal and the smell of race fuel surrounds everything. As a thin and tall 13-year-old from Aurskog, Dennis stood in one of the tents to put on his black riding suit. But first he tested a specially molded fiberglass protector around his chest.

You might also like to read: Sweet Protection from Norway

Traces of gasoline and exhaust
Dennis is a member of the Red Bull Junior Team and the reigning FIA Formula 3 champion. He also won the 2019 Italian F4 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing. “The goal is Formula 1, otherwise I wouldn’t have driven Formula 3 this year. This is what I am aiming for, so I will try to achieve that goal. It went well this season, so you have to work on it,” says Hauger to the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

Traces of gasoline and exhaust stretch through the life Dennis Hauger. From a house in Aurskog with a 150 square meter garage with underfloor heating and a workshop, he was one year old and dressed with a driving suit from Subaru and brought to see his father drive rally on the weekends. Two years and two months old, Dennis drove himself for the first time. In a diaper and with a pacifier in his mouth, he rode a quad bike in the garden and gave full throttle into a pile of bricks. He still has scars on his chest.

You might also like to read: Top Surf Spots in Scandinavia

The way forward
in the 2021 season, Hauger raced with Prema, partnering Olli Caldwell and Ferrari Driver Academy member Arthur LeclercIn.

The way forward next year will be Formula 2. Dennis has Formula 1 as a distant goal, but he can concentrate well on the moment. When asked where the main character himself will be in five years, he replies: “Then hopefully in a Formula 1 car. But I’ll go step by step, then we’ll see.”

The Great Norwegian Racing Driver Talent, written by Tor Kjolberg

Feature image (on top): Photo Red Bull

Tips for Achieving a Sustainable Scandinavian-Inspired Home

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 21, 2022

0

Tips for Achieving a Sustainable Scandinavian-Inspired Home

When it comes to interior design, no one does it quite like Scandinavian countries. From Norway to Denmark and around the globe, Scandinavian designs have long been at the forefront of home decoration trends and sustainability efforts. These Nordic innovations are inspiring interior decorators all over the world and creating opportunities to go green with a sophisticated, timeless look. Learn about these tips for achieving a sustainable Scandinavian-inspired home.

Setting the precedent are furniture and design companies based out of Scandinavian. For instance, the Sweden-based furniture giant IKEA (heard of it?) is prioritizing sustainability by investing in wind, solar, and responsibly managed forest. Regardless of whether or not you buy from these sustainability-focused companies, you can still borrow some ideas to achieve a green, Scandinavian-inspired home.

With these tips, a keen eye, and DIY experience, you too can create a home as green as Northern Europe.

1. Maximize natural light
First, start with the natural lighting in your home. With limited sunlight hours in the north, Scandinavians have learned how to make the most of light where they can get it. This means big, uncovered windows that both maximize natural light and minimize decor for a true northern feel.

Integrating more natural lighting in your home won’t just give your home that Nordic feel you’re going for, but it will also boost your sustainability efforts. That’s because sunlight streaming in can help cut down your electricity bill by as much as 10%. Additionally, the added Vitamin D can lead to health benefits.

Maximize your natural light, starting with your windows. You can also optimize your use of paint for greater lighting efficiency.

2. Paint in muted, neutral colors
Scandinavians know how to maximize lighting through the use of color. With light hues and shades of white, you can get a lot of vibrancy from even a small amount of window light. That’s because these lighter colors are better at reflecting what light comes in throughout an entire room.

One of the pillars of Nordic design is to pair these muted colors—greys, whites, even pale pinks, and greens—with minimalistic and natural decor. With wood finishes, these soft colors elevate a Scandinavian-inspired look.

Reduce your use of electricity with rooms painted to bring in and reflect light. Then, a minimalist design helps ensure a clear path for this light to shine.

3. Minimalize
One of the most essential aspects of Scandinavian design is minimalism. Minimalism emphasizes quality over quantity, and it’s also a key element of any sustainability effort. This less-is-more approach to interior design is all the rage in Northern Europe for good reason. With it, you can gain all those sleek lines and uncluttered spaces you’re going for.

Minimalism forces you to take a different look at how you use your space. By keeping to the essentials, you can target things like furniture investments into durable pieces guaranteed to last a long time. As a result, you can save money while maximizing your space.

To minimalize sustainably, however, it helps to seek out natural materials second-hand or recycled.

Tips for Achieving a Sustainable Scandinavian-Inspired Home, continue reading….

4. Use recycled wood and furnitur
One of the best ways you can prioritize sustainable interior design is to use recycled wood and furniture. Nordic design heavily features natural materials for floors, wall paneling, fall ceilings, and other minimalist trim. However, if these materials are not sustainably sourced, you’ll harm the environment.

Though you can always turn to some sustainable Scandinavian brands for home decor supplies, it helps to thrift and repurpose. Vetting claims of sustainability isn’t easy in many cases. By thrifting, you can at least be sure that an already harvested material finds a new home.

Look for green alternatives to unsustainable big-box furnishings and supplies for your Scandinavian design. Even a fireplace can be eco-friendly with the right approach.

5. Install an eco-friendly fireplace
Your home might not feel truly Scandinavian without a nice fireplace to warm those long, dark winter nights. However, traditional fireplaces are notorious for their poor use of resources. Because they consume wood and emit toxic particulate matter, these timeless elements of any home can be problematic.

Fortunately, more eco-friendly fireplace options do exist. For example, ethanol fireplaces burn biofuel made from sugarcane and corn. Electric fireplaces keep toxic fumes at a bare minimum, and pellet-burning fireplaces are highly efficient.

Install an eco-friendly fireplace and reduce the toxic emissions that typically come with this feature. This might be the perfect finishing touch on your sustainable Scandinavian-inspired home.

Achieving a sustainable Scandinavian-inspired home
Scandinavian design is both timeless and modern. Emerging trends in this field increasingly include sustainable materials and choices that maximize the efficiency of a space. Elevate your home with some Nordic charm, considering sustainability from every angle.

Start with maximizing your natural light, then use these tips for guilt-free comfort and aesthetic bliss in that exceptional Scandinavian fashion. You can make your home (and the larger world) a bit greener with the help of Scandinavian-inspired design.

Tips for Achieving a Sustainable Scandinavian-Inspired Home, written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Ainsley Lawrence. Ainsley is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is interested in better living through technology and education. She is frequently lost in a good book.

Other articles by Ainsley Lawrence you might like to read:
The Coworking Culture in Scandinavian Countries
How & Why to Startup a Business in Sweden
Examining the Gender Pay Gap in Scandinavian Countries

Feasture image (on top): Hellerup Villa/Little Scandinavian

The Danish Energy Island

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 18, 2022

0

Three million Danish households will benefit of green electricity from offshore wind turbines all the way inside the engine room once the two islands become a reality. The Danish Energy Agency is leading the project. Read more about the Danish Energy Island.

A project to build a giant island providing enough energy for three million households has been given the green light by Denmark’s politicians. In the middle of the North Sea, the country plans to erect a power plant that will distribute wind energy far and wide across Europe.

The beginning of a new era
The energy islands mark the beginning of a new era for the generation of energy from offshore wind, aimed at creating a green energy supply for Danish and foreign electricity grids. Operating as green power plants at sea, the islands are expected to play a major role in the phasing-out of fossil fuel energy sources in Denmark and Europe.

The world’s first energy island will be as big as 18 football pitches (120,000sq m), but there are hopes to make it three times that size. Denmark pioneered its offshore wind farming thirty years ago and is now set to expand the repertoire of renewables again. By 2030, an artificial landmass far off the country’s western coast will channel green electricity from a vast network of wind turbines and transmit it to the mainland. It will serve as a hub for 200 giant offshore wind turbines.

The key to halting the rise of global temperatures
As the window for preventing catastrophic climate change shrinks, large-scale projects of this kind are key to halting the rise of global temperatures. With an eventual capacity of 10 gigawatts, the site will produce one and a half times the Danish population’s energy needs, leaving plenty for export to neighboring countries. “This is truly a great moment for Denmark and for the global green transition,” Energy Minister Dan Jørgensen said in a press release. “The island will make a big contribution to the realization of the enormous potential for European offshore wind.”

The energy island in the Baltic Sea will be Bornholm, where electrotechnical facilities on the island will serve as a hub for offshore wind farms off the coast supplying 2 GW of energy. It is the biggest construction project in Danish history, costing an estimated 210bn kroner (£24bn; €28bn: $34bn).

Turbines nearly three times the height of the Statue of Liberty
The project is only the latest step in Denmark’s push for sustainability. Last year the nation pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In late 2020 it also ended oil and gas exploration in its North Sea territory.

Situated 80km (50 miles) out to sea, the artificial island would be at least half-owned by the state and partly by the private sector. But don’t come looking for timeshares. It’s essentially just a hub, a centralized power plant, surrounded by hundreds of windmills. The turbines are far taller than existing ones – 850 feet, or nearly three times the height of the Statue of Liberty.

Long history of exploiting the strong winds from the sea
Denmark has a long history of exploiting the strong winds from the sea to produce electricity. The country constructed the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991, and in the climate agreement of 22 June 2020, the Danish legislature decided to build on that legacy with the construction of two energy islands. In light of the decision reached by Danish politicians, the Danish Energy Agency is now drawing on domestic expert knowledge as well as extensive experience and skills in this field with a view to taking a historic and ambitious step on the road to phasing out fossil fuels.

Which other neighboring countries that might benefit from the Energy Island have not yet been detailed. However, Prof Jacob Ostergaard of the Technical University of Denmark told the BBC that the UK could benefit, as well as Germany or the Netherlands. Green hydrogen would also be provided for use in shipping, aviation, industry and heavy transport. Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen said the country was simply “changing the map”.

Danish Energy Agency playing a key role
The island will come into being some 50 miles out to sea from the Jutland Peninsula, but its precise location is yet to be determined. In November, Energinet — the Danish company that will construct and operate the electrical transmission system connecting the island to adjacent countries — began assessing a swath of the North Sea known as Dogger Bank, a vast sandbank that offers the combined advantage of shallow water depths and optimal wind conditions. The government expects to select a specific site by spring, and construction is slated for 2026, leaving time to study the project’s impact on the seabed and marine life.

The Danish Energy Agency is playing a key role in leading the project that will transform the two energy islands from a vision to reality. The islands are a pioneer project that will necessitate the deployment of existing knowledge into an entirely new context. Working together with well-established actors in the industry and the highest level of expertise in the field, the goal is to find the best solutions to the aspects of the project that remain unsolved.

Some sexrecy over where the new island will be built
The plan is for the island to grow from an initial 120,000 sq m in size to 460,000 sq m. The design is still uncertain, too. It could take one of several forms: a caisson, or massive concrete box filled with rocks; a floating platform tethered in place; or a pile of sand.

While there is some secrecy over where the new island will be built, it is known that it will be 80km into the North Sea. Danish TV said that a Danish Energy Agency study last year had marked two areas west of the Jutland coast and that both had a relatively shallow sea depth of 26-27m.

The innovators behind the energy islands hope their project is only the beginning. As offshore wind technology matures, it could tap into tremendous unrealized potential. Dogger Bank alone has been estimated to harbor as much as 110 gigawatts of wind energy capacity — more than 10 times Denmark’s proposed generation for the area. And if this experiment succeeds, the model it tests in the North and Baltic seas could soon be imitated by coastal nations around the world, wherever the wind blows.

The Danish Energy Island, written by Tor Kjolberg

Feature image (on top): Photo bt the Danish Energy Agency

Norwegian-Built Polar Ship Found After Over 100 Years Under Ice

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 17, 2022

0

Norwegian-Built Polar Ship Found After Over 100 Years Under Ice

More than 100 years after Norwegian-built Endurance was crushed by ice in Antarctic, scientists have found and filmed the ship from Ernest Shackleton’s expedition – 3000 meters below the polar ice. Read the full story on Norwegian-built polar ship found after over 100 years under ice.

Explorers and researchers, battling freezing temperatures, have located Endurance that sank in the Antarctic in 1915 to the bottom of the Weddell Sea, east of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Found at a depth of 3008 meters
«We are overwhelmed by the luck we have had who have found and could take photos of Endurance. This is the most beautiful wooden wreck I have ever seen. It stands proudly on the bottom, intact and incredibly well preserved. You can even read the name of the stern,» says Mensun Bound, who has been responsible for the search for the Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s polar ship which was crushed in pack ice and sank 106 years ago.

Related: The Voyages of a Modern Viking

The ship was found at a depth of 3008 meters, about six kilometers from where it was crushed by sea-ice on a November day in 1915, forcing Shackletton and his crew to make an astonishing escape on foot and in small boats. Everyone who had been with Endurance southwards survived the expedition.

Found after two weeks’ search
Marine archaeologists and technicians had been searching for more than two weeks using a South African icebreaker, Agulhas II, equipped with remotely operated submersibles in a 150squaremie area around where the ship went down. The project to find the lost ship was mounted by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT).

Even though it has been sitting in 3km (10,000ft) of water for over a century, 144-foot, three-masted wooden Endurance does not appear to have been damaged by anemones, fungi and other organisms that have taken hold on board after the shipwreck. The wreck itself is a designated monument under the international Antarctic Treaty and must not be disturbed in any way. No physical artefacts have therefore been brought to the surface. The expedition searching for Shackleton’s ship was allowed to watch – and film – but not touch.

Built in Norway
Endurance, was built at Framnæs Mechanical Workshop in Sandefjord, Norway. The vessel was at the center of one of the most famous stories of survival in polar regions. Just a few years after Roald Amundsen became the first to reach the South Pole, Shackleton wanted be the first to cross the continent. The Irish-British explorer had been to Antarctica several times and was the one who had been farthest south before Amundsen. In 1909, Shackleton and the group he led had to turn only 180 kilometers away from the pole. Barely three years later, Amundsen reached all the way.

Rerlated: Only Filipina Who has Reached the North Pole

Polar history
“We have made polar history with the discovery of Endurance, and successfully completed the world’s most challenging shipwreck search,” said John Shears, the expedition’s leader.

In 1922, Shackleton returned to Grytviken, on his way to another expedition in Antarctica. While in South Georgia, he died of a heart attack and was buried in the island’s cemetery on March 5, 1922. On the exact same day 100 years later, he was honored, among other things, by a military honor guard at the grave.

Norwegian-Built Polar Ship Found After Over 100 Years Under Ice, written by Tor Kjolberg

Why You Need to Try Swedish Surströmming

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 16, 2022

0

Why You Need to Try Swedish Surströmming

Surströmming is a traditional Swedish dish consisting of fermented and lightly-salted sea herring. Dating all the way back to the 16th century, this dish has been a true staple in Swedish cuisine. Find out why you need to try Swedish surströmming

Even though nowadays there’s a plethora of fermented fish products that are widely used in dishes all around the world, many people still need some hard convincing to try out Surströmming. One of the most obvious reasons is the fact that a freshly-opened can of Surströmming is known to be one of the most putrid-smelling foods in the world.

That being said, let’s see how Surströmming is being produced and explore some of the most common ways it’s being served.

The production process
In the past, the meat of a sea herring was originally marinated in a weak brine, where it was left until the fermentation process was complete. Nowadays, the fish is first submerged in a strong brine solution to draw out the blood, and then stored in barrels and marinated with a weaker brine to allow fermentation. Although a bit foul-smelling, this dish is entirely safe to eat as the fermentation process is closely monitored. With the help of modern technology and products such as SBT instruments, manufacturers can stay on top of the whole process more easily, ensuring that the necessary fermentation is not cut short. When the time is right, Surströmming is being canned and marketed in shops.

Preparation and serving
In Sweden, every third Thursday of August is known as “Surströmming day”, which marks the so-called Surströmming season. The season usually lasts until early September, so this part of the year is the best time to try out this dish.

Surströmming is most commonly served on a piece of thin buttered bread called tunnbröd, with potatoes and red onions. The potatoes are usually either mashed or sliced and the onions are finely diced. Sometimes, Swedes add Västerbotten cheese to this dish to help balance out the strong flavor of Surströmming.

Related: The Stinky Swedish Fish

If you’re opening a can of Surströmming on your own for the very first time, you do need to be careful. Due to the fermentation process that’s still happening inside, the built-up gas can cause the brine to spray out of the can. That’s why it’s commonly advised to open a can of Surströmming at an upward angle or even submerge it in the bucket of water, puncture the can and only then proceed to open it.

So, if you’re ever visiting Sweden during the Surströmming season, make sure you try out this delicious dish. Even though it may not sound supper-appealing at the first glance, we promise you that you won’t regret giving it a shot.

Why You Need to Try Swedish Surströmming, is a promotional article from SBT instruments

Feature image (on top): Screenshot from VGTV

Why There Is No Plan B for Sweden’s Bee Population

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 15, 2022

0

Why There Is No Plan B for Sweden’s Bee Population

In a recent editorial piece on the decline of pollinators, University of Bergen professor van der Sluijs highlights the dramatic consequences of declining bee populations, urging researchers to pool their knowledge to help stop – and potentially reverse – this situation. Learn more about why there is no Plan B for Sweden’s bee population.

Professor van der Sluijs’ concern is justified; the European Parliament estimates that one in ten bee and butterfly species is in danger of extinction in Europe, and the problem is echoed around the world too. As the professor explains, this has potentially disastrous effects on the global food supply chain and existing ecosystems, and is one of the reasons saving the bees has to be such a priority within Sweden’s sustainability efforts. So what is currently being done today, and what more can be achieved?

A small creature of huge importance
It is estimated that 80% of all flowering plants depend on pollinating insects such as bees, which means that roughly one third of global food production (approximately $19bn worth according to US government data) depends on these tiny workers. Bees are also vital members of ecosystems, helping to encourage biodiversity. Different bees play different roles, but all are important to their environments, and to humans. In Scandinavia, the Nordic brown bee is a local species which is particularly under threat from other species of bee, and as such there has been a commitment to protect this variety as far as possible.

Sweden’s mission to save the bees
In addition to programs to save the Nordic brown bee, Sweden is part of the EU Pollinators Initiative, which aims to monitor bee populations, research the factors causing their decline, and develop solutions. In Northern Sweden, the Umea University has launched an effort to bring together researchers and educators to raise public awareness of the plight of bees and other pollinators, and in national parks such as Store Mosse, adults and children alike are invited to help build insect hotels and learn more about the creatures. Schools are also working hard to educate the next generation about the importance of caring for bees.

How individuals can help
In recent years, home beekeeping has grown in popularity in Sweden, and indeed around the world. If you’re not quite ready to embark on beekeeping yourself, you could support social enterprises such as Bee Urban, or Swedish bee sanctuaries such as The Bee Zone. You can also help by rejecting pesticides, building your own insect house, planting flowers and plants which attract bees – dwarf elderberry, alliums and Jerusalem sage are all popular varieties – and leaving out shallow dishes of water in warmer weather.

Why There Is No Plan B for Sweden’s Bee Population – Conclusion
Given the huge significance of this tiny creature, it’s no wonder that countries around the world are waking up to its plight. Through schemes such as encouraging the sharing of research, raising public awareness, and inviting young and old to get involved directly with bug houses and bee-friendly planting, Sweden is trying hard to reverse the decline of its bees. Time will tell whether they can achieve the sweet success they hope for.

Why There Is No Plan B for Sweden’s Bee Population, written exclusively by Karoline Gore. Karoline is a freelance writer from Stoke on Trent in the UK who left the corporate grind when she started a family and has never looked back. She enjoys contributing to a range of online publications on the topics that are important to her.

Recent articles written by Karoline Gore you might like to read:

Labradorite From Norway: A True Scandinavian Treasure
3 Reasons Why Stockholm is the Perfect Place to Pursue Postgraduate Studies
Considering a New Start? Why Scandinavia Could Be the Perfect Choice

Feature image (on top): Photo by Krzysztof Niewolny / Unsplash

Scandinavian Nettles

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 14, 2022

0

The long, thin fibers of the stinging nettle have been used for centuries to make the finest, shiny durable and soft materials for dresses and bed linen, finer even than the flax-linen, rotted and woven in the same way. Nettle cloth was even discovered in a Danish grave of the later Bronze Age, wrapped around cremated bones. Learn more about Scandinavian nettles.

Nettles are not overwhelming flavorful, but are fine as a spring-time, vaguely spinach-like treat. They have a distinct foxy smell – which comes from all the little glass-hard needles that contain the poison that creates the sting and irritates the skin – but you can easily blanch this away.

How it grows
Nettles grow everywhere, particularly on deep, rich soil in disturbed habitats, and can reach an impressive 2 meters high in the summer, dying down to the ground in winter. They appear from March onwards and are best picked early. It’s the soft, young tips of the plant that you’re after, and don’t forget to wear gloves.

Health benefits
For hundreds of years, nettles have been used to treat a whole range of aliments, even to stimulate hair growth! They are rich in minerals, and vitamins (particularly A and C), and are relatively high in protein for a leafy green vegetable.

Culinary uses
Put the cleaned nettles in a colander, pour over a kettleful of boiling water, and drain. After this initial blanching, the nettles can be used in all kinds of ways as you would use spinach; in soups, omelets, dressed with olive oil and lemon, creamed. You could also try them in the chervil soup.

Nettle waffles
You can use this thick waffles as wraps to fill with dried or salted meats, smoked fish, or fish eggs, or simply topped with chervil cream and smoked salmon.

250g fresh herbs, including blanched nettles, spinach, parsley, dill, tarragon and/or sorrel
3 eggs
70ml beer
150ml full-fat milk
180g plain flour
100g salted butter, melted
Salt and pepper

MAKES 10

Chop the herbs finely. Bland the eggs, beer, milk and flour together in a bowl. Add the melted butter and continue mixing until it forms a shiny butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add the herbs.

Bake the waffles in a waffle iron (there is no need to grease it) in the usual way. The waffles are crisp when freshly baked; once cold, they can be restored to their former glory in a warm oven.

Scandinavian Nettles, written by Tor Kjolberg

A German Artist’s Island Stable in Norway

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 11, 2022

0

A German Artist’s Island Stable in Norway

On an island out in the Moldefjord you can find an old cabin which is in every aspect very unusual. The almost twelve square meter organism on Hjertøya is made of stone, an untraditional material for such a building in this area. First and foremost, it has for many years housed one of the leading figures of European modernism. Learn more about a German artist’s island stable in Norway.

One of the few surviving Merzbau by the German Dada artist Kurt Schwitters established a home in Norway. In 2016, the Romsdal Museum in Molde unveiled Schwitters’ three-dimensional collage, considered a forerunner of installation. The existence of the cabin had until then been a good preserved secret internationally.

Schwitters’ room
Romsdals museum calls it “Schwitters’ room”, where the interior from his Merzbau cabin at Hjertøya is at display. In addition to the cabin, you may see paintings, a sculpture and documentation of his life and artistic practice.

In the late 1930s, the German artist Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948) came to Norway for the first time, on holiday with his wife, and became a regular visitor in Molde from then on. He was closely associated with the avant-garde movement from the period around the First World War, primarily to the Dadaists, and known for experiments with sound, writing, sculpture and images.

Being a German, his presence at Hjertøya caused anxiety among the Norwegians, who believed him to be a spy. As a result, he moved to England in 1940, and the Merzbau was left to its own destiny for several decenniums.

The Merzbau
The Merzbau has been transferred from the island of Hjerteoya, just south of the coastal city of Molde, where Schwitters gradually built it inside a former stable in the 1930s. The reassembled version is on permanent display.

During his years at Hjertøya Schwitters transformed his living quarters into what may best be described as an installation of its own. As his political views and artistic practice was not to the likings of the Nazis, his visits to Norway became more and more frequent. At Hjertøya he found an astonishing landscape that he transformed into beautiful paintings, but it´s his collages and installations of lost and found objects that has reserved him a place in international art history. His love of “trash objects” also led him to transform the small cottage he lived in, into a work of art; The Merzbau.

Related: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

The reconstructed cabin
The fact that the building was emptied of contents and moved to a reconstructed cabin in the new Reiulf Ramstad-designed Romsdals Museum in the center of Molde, therefore gives both academics and ordinary people the opportunity to study the remains of Schwitters and get to know the increasingly dramatic story of a continental artist rebel who chose to settle on a small island in the Norwegian province – almost in artistic solitude.

Conservation of the installation, which had fallen into despair, began in 2010. According to the museum, it was a very complicated process. Only one photograph from Schwitters’ time existed, depicting a corner of the barn. The staff has remained as faithful as possible to Schwitters’ vision, but had to remove some of the original plaster, which contained asbestos.

Related: Kurt Schwitters and Norway

The artist built two Merzbau in Norway, where he lived between 1937 and 1940 to escape the Nazis. The other installation, constructed outside Oslo, was destroyed in a fire in the 1950s.

What is art and what is rubbish?
What can be seen at Romsdalsmuseet today, is a distinctly concrete example that what is art, and what is rubbish, depends on the eye that sees. Here are just a few of the more naturalistic pictures Schwitters painted in Norway, but it is paper clips, a coin, a pencil stub and fragile pieces of paper from the cabin that have been placed behind glass. The collage fragments are interesting, but the most striking thing about the “new” cabin is the fact that a forward-thinking German artist with a solid financial background for a long time chose to live under such spartan conditions.

A German Artist’s Island Stable in Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg

Awarded Multi-Purpose Sports Hall in Copenhagen

Tor Kjølberg

-

March 10, 2022

0

Awarded Multi-Purpose Sports Hall in Copenhagen

A sports hall in Copenhagen is shaped like an organic amoeba. Falkonergården Gymnesium was awarded «Store Arne» for its beautiful architectural concept, where new and old supporting each other’s narrative. Learn more about the awarded multi-purpose sports hall in Copenhagen.

In 2010, Falkonergården Gymnasium at Fredriksberg in Copenhagen announced an open architecture competition for submitting ideas for a new sports hall that communicated with the buildings of architect Thomas Havning from 1955. As many as 103 proposals were submitted, and the three architects Tage Lyneborg, Høgni T. Hansen and Carl Th. Lyneborg (JAJA Architects) were the winning team “for its respectful relation to the existing buildings through its geometric formal language”. The jury explained, “The shape appears logic with an interpretation of the buildings’ existing virtues. And the objective of capturing the warm glow of the surrounding buildings with new materials seems very convincing.”

Related: Exciting Danish Architecture

The new building met the existing buildings’ stock values respectfully, but at the same time it was modern, functional and empathetic.

“What is special about Falkonergårdens Gymnasium is that it does not clearly conform to what was typical of its time, but rather draws more towards Danish and Nordic architecture from the 1930s,” said architect Høgni T. Hansen.

From the large programmatic grip and down to the smallest detail, it is a convincing and complete piece of architecture that bears witness to the architectural tenacity and thoughtfulness. The use of materials and thoughtful plan will give Falkonergården’s students joy for many years to come.

For the extension, JAJA Architects proposed an infill project between the campus’ two existing gym buildings. This infill is conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the existing building mass that connects and transforms the detached gyms into one coherent functional facility.

Seen from the air, the new sports hall is like an organic amoeba between the rectangular brick buildings. It is located on the west side of the schoolyard, where there used to be a sunken garden.

Junckers sports floor in the wood species Oak Champion, 2-strip was chosen for this beautiful project, installed on a DuoBAT 120+ and surface treated with Silk Matt laquer. Linemarkings are painted with Junckers HP SportsLine.

The extends allowed the fragmented buildings to function as one entity where the interior space is extended to a courtyard condition, thus creating a continuous space where gym and schoolyard, building and landscape merge together.

Awarded Multi-Purpose Sports Hall in Copenhagen, written by Tor Kjolberg

Feature image (on top): Photo by Eumies Award

Exploring Scandinavia

Stories Made to Stick

Scandinavian Explorers

Hydrogen Storage Facility in Sweden Has Reached Halfway Point in Construction

The Great Norwegian Racing Driver Talent

Tips for Achieving a Sustainable Scandinavian-Inspired Home

The Danish Energy Island

Norwegian-Built Polar Ship Found After Over 100 Years Under Ice

Why You Need to Try Swedish Surströmming

Why There Is No Plan B for Sweden’s Bee Population

Scandinavian Nettles

A German Artist’s Island Stable in Norway

Awarded Multi-Purpose Sports Hall in Copenhagen