A bomb under the Glyptotek
12 August 2008When the Glyptotek – one of Denmark's most popular museums – needed to be rebuilt and refurbished internally, there were many things we had to take into consideration.
The 350,000 annual visitors still required access to parts of the building, and the staff needed a functional workplace while the refurbishment was carried out.
Above all we had to show great consideration for the 10,500 works of art and the listed old buildings.
A gift to the Glyptotek – a project for MT Højgaard
The value of the Glyptotek art is greater than the value of the entire Carlsberg Group. So not without reason, the museum was very careful in its choice of collaboration partners. The Glyptotek received an anniversary gift of DKK 100 million from the New Carlsberg Foundation and the Carlsberg Foundation for improvement and renewal throughout the museum. And in 2003, MT Højgaard gained the special and demanding refurbishment project, with a completion deadline of 28 June 2006.
The staff were involved when we set off a bomb in the basement
The refurbishment of the Glyptotek was a project which required not only the necessary competences in construction, but also human values – an openness and receptivity to the special artistic environment in which the work was carried out.
We involved the staff in many contexts, for example when we set off a smoke bomb in the basement. Here we benefited from their knowledge of the winding interior of the basement, as well as their presence during the blast itself.
The custodians kept guard
The challenge during the refurbishment of the basement was to avoid dust escaping and contaminating the museum's priceless collections. The Glyptotek dates from the 1890s, and there is a labyrinth of age-old air channels, which could quickly spread dust everywhere.
But we found a solution. First, we taped over all the ventilation grids. Then we sprayed insulation foam through the ducts. And then, to be absolutely sure that dust could not get through the channels, we set off a smoke bomb in the basement.
This was where the museum's custodians were such a great help. They all kept their eyes firmly focused on the ventilation grids when the smoke bomb went off to ensure the grids were effectively sealed, and that not one single speck of dust would escape during the refurbishment.
100 years and a new look
In addition to refurbishing the basement of the Glyptotek, MT Højgaard has been involved in the refurbishment of a number of public areas, including lowering floors, installing new access staircases and taking down walls to allow free-standing columns and arched vaults to open up the rooms.
The entire building has been gradually refurbished over three years, so that the Glyptotek could celebrate its 100th anniversary on the 28 June 2006 and at the same time open its doors to the entire museum – which now in all its glory matches the requirements that visitors and staff have today.