A
R
C
H
I
T
E
C
T
U
R
E
+
D
E
S
I
G
N
L E G E N D S | O L D L I B R A R Y
R
ead the room at the Old Library
at Nationalmuseum in Stockholm,
Sweden and one discovers the
virtues of vibrant, sustainable-
minded design. Part of a broader
five-year effort to renovate and
rebuild Sweden's national gallery—one of the
best-preserved 19th century specimens in
Europe—Old Library was built in the past, but
with designer Emma Olbers at the helm of its
interiors, focused on the future.
Given that the mannerly Nationalmuseum
was for most of its years gradual, only coming
around to installing electricity in 1931, more
than six decades after the gallery opened
in 1863, the swift and committed orientation
toward the current moment feels a bit radical.
Rare is a wait so worthy. To meet the needs
of a modern arts institution, Nationalmuseum
underwent improvements that included
the opening of windows to accommodate
heaps of natural light that is central to
the overall renovation; repainting display
rooms in contemporary colors; and creating
space to accommodate more visitors and
the simultaneous showing of the museum's
collection of 700,000 art objects set in new
historical contexts.
That Old Library, where material from
Nationalmuseum's Art Library and archives
is exhibited, emerges as a highlight of the
broader revamp—and standing entirely on its
own—speaks to the depth of its exquisitely
done interior. Instructed to design a room for
reflection, rest and small exhibitions, Olbers
aimed to show visitors the look and feel of
good materials. "Why good materials?" she
asks. "I have always focused on sustainability."
In particular climate and the importance of
limiting greenhouse gases, particularly where it
concerns furniture production, where materials
account for around 50 per cent of total carbon
emissions. "Material really is the key when it
comes to sustainability and furniture," explains
Olbers, who thoughtfully explored sustainable
furniture production via her exhibition at the
Swedish Furniture Fair 2016, "Where does it
come from, where does it go." Her commitment
to this exploration is central to the Old Library.
"We really wanted to use material with low
carbon, like soft wood, and fast-growing
fibers—for example, seagrass and hemp.
We also wanted to show finishes that do that
the furniture age with grace and are easy to
maintain, like flax oil." In not using any mass-
produced industrial leather, which she says is
300 times more CO2e than a material, such as
PHOTOGRAPHS:
NATIONALMUSEUM
EXTERIOR,
NATIONALMUSEUM/ANNA;
SCULPTURE
COURTYARD,
NATIONALMUSEUM/BRUNO
EHRS;
ALL
OTHERS
ANDY
LIFFNER.
32 DIGS.NET
| 10.16.26
