FJORDENHUS - A bespoke uniform project , 2020
Fjordenhus - by Morten Kirk & Olafur Eliasson
Rising out of the water, Fjordenhus (Fjord house) forges a striking connection between Vejle Fjord and the city centre of Vejle. The building honours its unique setting in a radical way. It is placed directly in the water, aiming to create the most immediate relation between a building and its envi- ronment. The basic form is inspired by the harbour's surrounding architecture. Formed by four intersecting cylinders, rounded volumes have been carved from its facades of custom-glazed brick to create an archi- tectural statement of complex curved, circular, and elliptical forms, torqueing walls, and parabolic arches. The outer walls, which are normally seen as a mem- brane between inside and outside, are themselves spaces in Fjordenhus, and so there is the opportunity to be both inside and outside. This feature was a natural fit for the Lyst concept — an indoor restaurant inspired by its outdoor beginnings.
Rising out of the water, Fjordenhus (Fjord house) forges a striking connection between Vejle Fjord and the city centre of Vejle. The building honours its unique setting in a radical way. It is placed directly in the water, aiming to create the most immediate relation between a building and its envi- ronment. The basic form is inspired by the harbour's surrounding architecture. Formed by four intersecting cylinders, rounded volumes have been carved from its facades of custom-glazed brick to create an archi- tectural statement of complex curved, circular, and elliptical forms, torqueing walls, and parabolic arches. The outer walls, which are normally seen as a mem- brane between inside and outside, are themselves spaces in Fjordenhus, and so there is the opportunity to be both inside and outside. This feature was a natural fit for the Lyst concept — an indoor restaurant inspired by its outdoor beginnings.
A long walk — camera in hand — around the Fjordenhus area was the starting point for us when we approached the design process for Lyst.
To both sense and capture the stone surfaces, the tall windows, the materials used, the way the light falls on and in the building. The colour palette of both architecture and the water reflecting on it as well as the grandness of the nature around the building was the initial inspiration. Fjordenhus is a building that almost invites you to design, and the grandiosity of the architecture was an enormous inspiration. The dialogue with the team behind Lyst set the direction. Ideas and visualisations emerged from the conversation. From there we went back to our studio in Milan. The overall aim was to communicate the art and architecture of Fjordenhus through fabric, but also to broaden the experience for the guests. As a guest at Lyst you get an almost theatrical experience, as the staff is in constant movement as a part of the overall storytelling and service. Emphasising movement was important for our design. Images were sent from Studio Olafur Eliasson & Studio Other Spaces and this parallel design process secured the joined narrative that is so distinct to Lyst. A testament to this are the capes worn by the outside staff greeting guests upon arrival. We took the idea of the cape back to the design studio and developed a style inspired by the sails from the restaurant. The maritime references that both location and building represent were implemented with rope details. The intertextual references in the uniforms also point to the heritage of the building and the family that created it. The logo patches on the uniforms are created with a particular button-on system — a subtle reference to the playfulness of the LEGO brand - The heir of LEGO, Morten Kirk commissioned the building. Creating the uniform identity for Lyst was an incredibly rewarding experience for OLDER. Some of the objects and ideas developed for Fjordenhus live on in the contexts and visions of new projects in our work. The rope details used for the Lyst uniforms were further developed and used in a chair design exhibited in Nilufar Gallery in Milan.
To both sense and capture the stone surfaces, the tall windows, the materials used, the way the light falls on and in the building. The colour palette of both architecture and the water reflecting on it as well as the grandness of the nature around the building was the initial inspiration. Fjordenhus is a building that almost invites you to design, and the grandiosity of the architecture was an enormous inspiration. The dialogue with the team behind Lyst set the direction. Ideas and visualisations emerged from the conversation. From there we went back to our studio in Milan. The overall aim was to communicate the art and architecture of Fjordenhus through fabric, but also to broaden the experience for the guests. As a guest at Lyst you get an almost theatrical experience, as the staff is in constant movement as a part of the overall storytelling and service. Emphasising movement was important for our design. Images were sent from Studio Olafur Eliasson & Studio Other Spaces and this parallel design process secured the joined narrative that is so distinct to Lyst. A testament to this are the capes worn by the outside staff greeting guests upon arrival. We took the idea of the cape back to the design studio and developed a style inspired by the sails from the restaurant. The maritime references that both location and building represent were implemented with rope details. The intertextual references in the uniforms also point to the heritage of the building and the family that created it. The logo patches on the uniforms are created with a particular button-on system — a subtle reference to the playfulness of the LEGO brand - The heir of LEGO, Morten Kirk commissioned the building. Creating the uniform identity for Lyst was an incredibly rewarding experience for OLDER. Some of the objects and ideas developed for Fjordenhus live on in the contexts and visions of new projects in our work. The rope details used for the Lyst uniforms were further developed and used in a chair design exhibited in Nilufar Gallery in Milan.
