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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 1 19/07/13 12.50 STEENSEN VARMING Page 3
Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 2-3 19/07/13 12.50 “The engineer in his own way is an artist too – and not just a dead fish with a slide rule.”
Jørgen Varming
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 4-5 19/07/13 12.50 steensenvarming.com
We strive for technical perfection. We are driven to enable the best Firm foundations building design where functionality and wellbeing are paramount. We demand at least as much from ourselves as our clients and collaborators have come to expect.
We grew up with the Danish design approach to refinement and longevity in our formative years. Since our foundation, in 1933, we have attracted and employed gifted people with a shared ethos and commitment to optimal design solutions. We focus on offering a portfolio of specialist services and high levels of expertise, deliberately maintaining a scale of operation that does not outgrow our talent pool. We continue to innovate to meet and exceed the needs of the most challenging projects, to consistently deliver positive outcomes.
But it’s not all about us. This book is about inspirational architects and brave clients. Our reputation, as one of the most respected and awarded building services consultancies, is built on their foundations - and our way of thinking. STEENSEN VARMING Page 7
Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 6-7 19/07/13 12.50 “If a building becomes architecture, then it is art.
Clearly if a building is not functionally and technically in order, then it isn’t architecture either, it’s just a building.”
Arne Jacobsen
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 8-9 19/07/13 12.50 Working in close cooperation with architects, engineers, Enabling architecture scientists and designers, we have developed the knowledge to seamlessly assimilate form and function, art and technology. We are practitioners in mechanical and electrical engineering, lighting and sustainable designs that enhance spatial design. In addition to the Vitruvian principles of solidity, utility and beauty, we have put in place our own guiding triad to produce intelligent, valuable and elegant solutions.
These encompass architectural and urban design, the private, corporate and public sectors, modest upgrades and World Heritage Sites. Our integrated design innovations are often examples of quiet achievement with a profound effect on the Reyner Banham championed the success of a project, creating exceptional environments from mechanisation of environmental management to serve human comfort. In his view, architecture, the most complete combinations of active and passive measures. Its populace of the Arts, should absorb technology in this endeavour. should not notice our legacy; when the efficient, seamless
Steensen Varming reprinted Banham’s operation merges elegantly into the whole, we achieve our seminal work ‘Architecture of the Well-Tempered Environment’ as part of an objective - total architecture. ongoing commitment to the education and collaboration of engineers and architects. STEENSEN VARMING Page 11
Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 10-11 19/07/13 12.50 We established an office in Australia to assist in realising the ambitious Sydney Opera House. It remains an exceptional piece of urban sculpture with groundbreaking mechanical services - still in operation today.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 12-13 19/07/13 12.50 In the happy old days now long ago, Who spoils the fun of the architect’s task? when time was passing smoothly and slow, Who is the snake in the grass, you may ask? we architects had such a happy mind, Who will insist on these plant rooms and gears? with no interference of any kind. Who – but these confounded engineers.
Then we could breathe so freely and fair, Kristoffer Nyrop Varming without this blasted conditioned air, Architect but what we were taught then from our birth 1906 is now reduced to nothing of worth. Translated by his son Jørgen Varming Engineer
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 14-15 19/07/13 12.50 Elegance
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 16-17 19/07/13 12.50 Memories preserved by air
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 18-19 19/07/13 12.50 The National Gallery’s 34,000m2 of conditioned spaces hold 165,000 artworks including the largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in the world.
In a long-term collaboration, operational conditions were maintained in the galleries while ageing, inefficient air-handling equipment was replaced to give improved environmental control and very significant energy reductions of over 50% in gas and 30% in electricity usage.
National Gallery of Australia Canberra
The 200 log coffins of The Aboriginal Memorial at the National Gallery of Australia commemorate the indigenous people who have lost their lives defending their land since 1788. The fragile, natural pieces, created by 43 artists for this public space, need a controlled, clean environment with stable temperature and humidity.
A displacement air supply is concealed and integrated within the architecture, by PTW Architects, and the artwork itself. Air diffusers hidden in the gravel, cocoon the poles, and air curtains designed into the glazed façade, shield the space from excessive heat. This invisibly elegant solution allows visitors to experience the artwork unimpeded while preserving it for generations, even if the power is lost.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 20-21 19/07/13 12.50 The Utzon Centre, located on the Aalborg waterfront, was Jørn Utzon’s final project. As a boy, his playground was the Lim Fjord and Aalborg shipyard.
The striking and playful roof forms signal the dynamic meeting place at the School of Architecture. Linear LED light fittings, concealed in the roof parapet, throw even, warm light onto the metal-deck roofing, accentuating its soft curves and luminosity.
Utzon Centre Aalborg
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 22-23 19/07/13 12.50 Collections and Research Building Australian Museum, Sydney
We accept that design is not a linear process. We are small enough to be agile and large enough to remain at the forefront.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 24-25 19/07/13 12.50 Dating from 1855, the challenge was the A luminous floating deck marks the gateway sensitive integration of services systems, in to the nation’s capital and parliament. In a old and new building fabric, with seamless radical approach for vehicular infrastructure continuity. in the country, in-ground fittings uplight the soffit and reflect safe illumination levels for The Mint was then listed as one of the top motorists. 30 groundbreaking buildings in the world by the Chartered Institution of Building Services A 92% reduction in traffic incidents has been Engineers. reported since completion. Fittings can be maintained without disruption and the feature lighting colours can be programmed to celebrate major events.
The Mint Kings Avenue Overpass Sydney Canberra
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 26-27 19/07/13 12.50 “When I’m working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.”
Richard Buckminster Fuller
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 28-29 19/07/13 12.50 “Light is really the source of all being… all materials in nature are made of light which has been spent, and this crumpled mass called material casts a shadow, and the shadow belongs to light.”
Louis Khan
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 30-31 19/07/13 12.50 Outdoor swimming indoors
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 32-33 19/07/13 12.50 ‘Breeze collectors’ funnel the prevailing north-easterly wind through the centre and automatically controlled openings drive buoyancy-assisted natural ventilation. Glare sources are eliminated, ensuring optimum visibility for lifeguards.
Corrosion resistant metal-halide wall washers uplight the profiled ceiling, enhancing the volume and form of the building. It is the first Australian project to receive an excellence award from the International Association of Lighting Designers.
Ian Thorpe Acquatic Centre Sydney
Designed by Harry Seidler, and his final public masterpiece, the wave-shaped aquatic centre was named in honour of five- time Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe. A major development by Sydney City Council, it inspires swimmers and sparked a residential building boom in a once-isolated industrial area of the city.
Steensen Varming designed the electrical, communication, security and lighting systems. The maximum application of natural ventilation and light, during the day, creates an outdoor environment indoors. In the dark, its glazed walls and lighting make the landmark building glow like a lantern.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 34-35 19/07/13 12.50 “When we were in the middle of developing the Opera House renewal plans with Jan Utzon, his father Jørn Utzon and architects JPW, we invited Jan for Sunday lunch at our house. He brought a lovely orchid. Ever since it has been the Steensen Varming decoration of choice, an exquisite example of nature - form and function.”
Dan Mackenzie
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 36-37 19/07/13 12.50 Future
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 38-39 19/07/13 12.50 Tomorrow’s trees today
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 40-41 19/07/13 12.50 Integrating science, structure and services, we designed the infrastructure that maintains accurate conditions for the experiment.
Every day 70-100t of liquid CO2 are delivered, stored, vaporised and released through the six arrays of 30 perforated vent pipes, 25m in diameter and 28m high. A sophisticated control system monitors wind speed and direction, and adjusts the CO2 supply with pneumatic butterfly valves.
The Eucalyptus woodland free-air CO2 enrichment (EucFACE) facility, Sydney
University of Western Sydney researchers are studying how higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations and temperatures can affect native woodlands and ecosystems.
The EucFACE facility is the first experiment in the world to study a native forest. Designed with minimal impact on the ecosystem, a ‘laboratory’ of six arrays, supplies CO2 at elevated levels, mimicking predicted future atmospheric concentration. The facility will host international researchers over the next decade, helping us understand and react to the effects of climate change, ahead of time.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 42-43 19/07/13 12.50 The faceted mantle integrates lighting, ventilation and acoustic attenuation into a singular, dramatic, metal surface, grafted onto the existing structure. The air-conditioning and distribution systems support multi-functional modes and a range of occupancy numbers.
The lighting control system can transform the mood according to the event or performance requirements. Parametric modeling underpinned the design process, realised through digital fabrication and CAD/CAM.
Great Hall, University of Technology Sydney
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 44-45 19/07/13 12.51 “Engineering services enable modern architecture.”
Sean Mulcahy
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 46-47 19/07/13 12.51 The Netherlands site is the largest of Flexible and adaptable ‘laboratory modules’ the European Space Agency’s and the support practical undergraduate studies in technical hub where the research and chemistry, including intensive wet labs and development for the majority of projects specialist electron microscopes. Key to the take place. These include science, exploration, success of this project was our engineered telecommmunications, human spaceflight, solution, the first of its type in Australia, to satellite navigation and Earth observation. combine individual fume cupboard ducts into one central system. We were confronted with unusual requirements for laboratories that simulate Computational modelling, simulation and full- launching and space conditions for rockets. scale prototyping were employed to ensure Due to the technical complexity involved, we continuous laboratory conditions and comfort. were employed as lead consultant.
European Space Research and Technology Centre Chemical Sciences Building Noordwijk University of New South Wales, Sydney
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 48-49 19/07/13 12.51 Newton’s Tree: velocity zero
Caroline Rothwell’s juxtaposed trees, suspended on fine stainless-steel cables, are influenced by the apple tree said to have inspired Newton’s discovery of gravity. Part of Steensen Varming’s contemporary art collection, it is suspended at eye level as a focal point of the working environment. It acts as a reminder of man’s relationship with nature and injects subjectivity into the workspace.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 50-51 19/07/13 12.51 The human element
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 52-53 19/07/13 12.51 Asian Galleries Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
How can you design an art gallery if you don’t appreciate art?
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 54-55 19/07/13 12.51 The lighting masterplan guides staged improvements encompassing over 100 buildings, monuments, landscape, vehicular and pedestrian connections.
This creates a coherent and harmoniously lit environment while reflecting the individual character of the spaces. An appreciation of darkness, light and shadow is key to the formation of focal points, facilitating orientation and way-finding.
Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library Delaware Lighting a living history
Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library houses one of the world’s most important collections of American Decorative Arts and a significant research library. Former home to the renowned collector and horticulturalist H.F. Du Pont, in the first half of the twentieth century, the museum today displays nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America from around 1640 to 1860.
The 1,000-acre site itself is an important piece of cultural history, used extensively for conservation, research and education purposes. Steensen Varming developed a holistic master plan for exterior lighting to introduce sustainability and enhance the visitor experience of Winterthur at night.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 56-57 19/07/13 12.51 Referencing the trees of the adjacent Albert This project exemplifies how a collaborative Park, the Kauri canopy is the most distinctive design process and dedicated design team can feature of the gallery. The undulating soffit’s deliver an exceptional low-energy building. 2000m2 of precisely profiled, indigenous timber is sensitively uplit. The building has been awarded 25 times across all disciplines including architecture, Light fittings of warm white, 3000K colour engineering, lighting, construction, materials, temperature with asymmetric forward interior design, tourism and sustainable distribution, beautifully and accurately render design. its light-honey colour, consistency and distinctive silvery speckled luster.
Auckland National Portrait Gallery Art Gallery Canberra
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 58-59 19/07/13 12.51 The Enlightening Piano
Conceived by Steensen Varming and illumni for Vivid Sydney 2013, the light-emitting, perspex piano resonates audibly and visibly as it is played. The complex challenges - in reflecting frequency of sound as frequency of lights, expressed as colours - were many.
It is entirely fitting that we have donated this highly interactive instrument to the sensory room at Arranounbai School where the focus is on literacy, art, music, and technology for children with disabilities.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 60-61 19/07/13 12.51 Herlev Hospital is the largest building in “Polychrome Hospital” is also the country’s Denmark to date. Its 25-storey ward block largest site-specific artwork. Artist Poul Gernes is connected to its treatment block and coloured every surface, handle and door frame distribution centre by a fully automated vertical for the 150,000m2 composition. transport system carrying 250 beds a day as well as books, medical samples and records. The scheme appears random and confusing until order prevails in the treatment tower where the constructive colour properties and placement engender positivity in the patients, contributing to a sense of wellbeing and recovery.
Herlev Hospital Copenhagen
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 62-63 19/07/13 12.51 The new building occupies 10% of the floor- area of the campus and is the largest project undertaken by the university to date.
An innovative laboratory lighting system, daylighting, low-energy ventilation systems and a multifunctional façade further enhance the ‘thinking’ environment.
Centre for Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease University of Sydney
This building was designed to support collaboration and new ways of thinking in research into obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Steensen Varming facilitated this aim with several initiatives including the development of a bespoke environmental rating tool and full documentation of building services in BIM.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 64-65 19/07/13 12.51 Putting nature to work
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 66-67 19/07/13 12.51 The centre’s sustainable initiatives include geothermal cooling and innovative air “We put a lot of energy into reducing energy.” tempering and filtering systems. Outside air passes through roof openings, geothermal water coils and the biofilter before further tempering in a thermal labyrinth below ground. Ralph Stedman The resultant indoor air quality is exceptional.
The hybrid ventilation openings bypass the active systems when external conditions permit, saving energy. A 4.725kW photovoltaic array also masks and shades the rooftop plant.
Photovoltaic panels
Green roof Outside air intake Operable louvres
Facade components Geothermal coils Relief air
Surry Hills Community Centre Outside air intake Sydney
The Surry Hills Community Centre sits on a busy street in Sydney and is one of the most environmentally progressive buildings in the city. Steensen Varming developed the 01 mechanical, electrical, sustainable and lighting designs. The 02 To geothermal building, by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, houses a two- 03 loops 04 05 storey library, community centre and childcare facilities. 06 01 Bio-lter 02 03 Additional sustainable design initiatives were introduced 04 05 Voids throughout the project around energy reduction, water 05 01 06 01, 03, 04, 06 Outside air Supply air conservation, material selection, waste management O/A 02, 05 Supply air 03 05 Labyrinth and improvement of the indoor environment. The most 04 O/A Supply air remarkable initiative, and visibly sustainable statement, is O/A 06 the planted atrium that acts as a living biofilter, improving O/A the air quality to the children’s play area.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 68-69 19/07/13 12.51 My Own Worst Enemy
John Tonkin’s work navigates his own ageing skin to a soundtrack of the Apollo missions.
The video animates our workplace. We see at close quarters the key surface that responds to the environments we create. We appreciate the parallels between physiology, the study of function in living systems, and the active systems we construct to give life to buildings. Skin, the original haptic surface, is the body’s intelligent façade.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 70-71 19/07/13 12.51 Intelligent design
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 72-73 19/07/13 12.51 Total arkitektur
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 74-75 19/07/13 12.51 Space heating is by way of in-slab heating coils and in the college rooms, recessed convectors integrated into the façade. Two years before completion, at the request of the Bursar, we estimated the cost of heating the new college at £6000 per annum, and the estimate is still accurate today. 50 years on, we advised the college on the sensitive integration of high-performance glazing.
The buildings were awarded a Grade I listing in 1993.
St Catherine’s College Oxford University
In St Catherine’s College, the building he called his favourite, Arne Jacobsen merged the new with the old to create a striking modern identity for a forward-looking college. His all-encompassing design included furniture, lampshades, cutlery, gardens - even the species of fish for the pond.
Steensen Varming had already worked with the Danish architect for more than two decades and shared his desire for elegant functionality and the value of holistic architecture. The mechanical services for the modern glass and concrete college buildings were meticulously detailed, enabling him to realise a bold vision.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 76-77 19/07/13 12.51 When competing for the contract to design a new city hall for Aarhus in Denmark, Arne Jacobsen didn’t hold back in a call to Jørgen Varming. “There’s an ENGINEER on the jury, and you must GUARANTEE that we get his vote!” Jacobsen said.
Arne Jacobsen was awarded the contract and we provided civil, structural and mechanical building services for the classic functionalist work.
Aarhus City Hall
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 78-79 19/07/13 12.51 Concealed conduits conform to the strict ordering principles of the building. Each element is deliberately placed and functionally optimised. Slender balcony slabs radiate heat, and the timber cladding facilitates light transmission and air supply through its textured surface.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 80-81 19/07/13 12.51 Identification of services is key to the aesthetic of this brutalist landmark and symbolic of their importance. Colour coding highlights the integration of fittings and mechanical services, introducing a human and playful contrast to the stark functionality.
The institute houses the Faculty of Health Sciences and Dental School for which we also delivered building services for a later extension.
Panum Institute University of Copenhagen
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 82-83 19/07/13 12.51 Cooling air with water
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 84-85 19/07/13 12.51 The Opera House attracts 7.4 million visitors a year, contributes more than $1 billion to the Australian economy and supports more than 12,000 jobs. The innovative mechanical and hydraulic systems include air-conditioning that utilises the harbour water as a heat sink.
The reversible heat pump supplies air to 120 fans distributed at 270m3/s through 35km of ducts to 3000 outlets.
1973 The Sydney Opera House Sydney Opera House brought Steensen Varming to Australia and we have been involved in its systems design and maintenance since. The original air-conditioning solution best illustrates our commitment to aesthetic integrity, developed with Danish architect Jørn Utzon and later Hall, Todd and Littlemore. By utilising Sydney Harbour’s plentiful water to provide cool air, we enabled the iconic silhouette to remain unit-free - a groundbreaking initiative on a world scale and the largest system of its kind.
The new lighting masterplan, developed in collaboration with Johnson Pilton Walker and endorsed by Utzon, ensures the Opera House is perceived as intended, not only enhancing the building and its public areas, but also the working environment.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 86-87 19/07/13 12.51 “When you build a building like the Sydney Opera House, it is like an oil painting by one of the masters where every time you add a brush stroke, it should enhance the painting.”
Jørn Utzon
2013
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 88-89 19/07/13 12.51 Beauty in technological advancement
It took eight years to build the shells of the Opera House and three years to develop the ceramic cladding. The shells were illuminated at night by just four 1000W lamps on each side.
In accordance with the masterplan, the shell lighting now renders the ceramic tiles in their neutral tone, with multiple 150W sources orientated to model the full beauty and curvature of the building’s geometry.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 90-91 19/07/13 12.52 Value in relationships
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 92-93 19/07/13 12.52 “Any new thought deserves the benefit of being turned over with the fullest enthusiasm.”
Niels Bohr
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 94-95 19/07/13 12.52 “We were fortunate to have worked with Professor Niels Bohr right from the start in 1933. It was an acquaintance which directly and indirectly was to become of the greatest importance to the development of our practice...”
Jørgen Varming
The dynamic research at the Niels Bohr Institute spans Astronomy, Geophysics, Nanophysics, Particle Physics, Quantum Physics and Biophysics.
Niels Bohr Institute Copenhagen
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 96-97 19/07/13 12.52 This was our first commission, from the Royal Architect Kristoffer Nyrop Varming, father of our founder. It marked the beginning of a long relationship with the library, which holds Denmark’s largest collection of scientific and health science literature, dating from 1497.
We designed the innovative bookshelves, which support the entire book tower - an interesting concept given the diminishing role of physical books in society today.
Faculty Library of Natural and Health Sciences Copenhagen University
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 98-99 19/07/13 12.52 “The frequent association – and even rare combat – with clients and architects is the greatest source of inspiration to our profession.”
Jørgen Varming
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 100-101 19/07/13 12.52 The art of collaboration
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 102-103 19/07/13 12.52 All its extensions have been recognised as exemplary public architecture by the Institute of Architects. The Kaldor Gallery is the first in Australia to use high-colour rendering metal- halide lamps. The Asian Gallery’s double-glass facade is both mechanical ducting and light source.
336,753 visitors attended Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, the only Southern Hemisphere exhibition on a world tour of just eight leading galleries.
Art Gallery of New South Wales Sydney
The relationship between Steensen Varming and the Art Gallery of New South Wales spans three decades, three generations of plant upgrade, the incorporation of new technology and media plus major extensions including a striking glass gallery without any visible services.
Our rapport has enabled the ongoing evolution of an art gallery environment that meets the highest international standards for humidity, temperature and light. This allows one of the country’s foremost cultural institutions to attract international showcase exhibitions and significant funding to achieve a shared vision.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 104-105 19/07/13 12.52 “When does a building actually become a built?” Le Corbusier
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 106-107 19/07/13 12.52 The largest public building constructed in the U.K. during the twentieth century, the British Library took 23 years to complete and houses some 150 million items.
Collaboration was an important design agenda from the start and our engineering services included the world’s first automatic book retrieval system. Along with The Mint, the building was listed as one of the top 30 groundbreaking buildings in the world by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.
The British Library 1 Bligh London Sydney
This 15-floor fit-out encompasses the sundry spaces required for a commercial operation. The challenge, in line with our sustainable ambitions, was to create a low-energy lighting solution providing for this diversity, with consistent rendering on the glazed façade externally.
The atrium facilitates the penetration of daylight to all floors. We supplemented this with artificial lighting integrated into the elliptical geometry. STEENSEN VARMING Page 109
Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 108-109 19/07/13 12.52 Like Jørgen Varming, our past director Sean Mulcahy has a love of art and music. In his studio he creates physical representations of music in paint, the artwork representing a chord, each colour a note with the resonance revealing itself where the chords unite.
Mulcahy’s use of rapid, free-hand, disposable communication within the design team, promoted effective collaboration and has had a lasting influence on the working methods of the practice.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 110-111 19/07/13 12.52 Gravitas
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 112-113 19/07/13 12.52 Glory in the air
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 114-115 19/07/13 12.52 To limit discolouration, an advanced laminar flow system was designed using the Coandă effect to pass clean air over the ceiling, forming a boundary level between the gold leaf and the smoke-laden air.
To achieve this, small air-handling units were concealed in the structure around the perimeter of the dome, discharging smoke along with clean air at the oculus.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre Jerusalem
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is a major pilgrimage site for Christians around the world. Every day thousands of sticks of incense, candles and torches are burnt in ceremonies and processions under its once golden dome, which had become blackened over centuries.
The mechanical ventilation system not only supplements the natural ventilation but also protects the restored gold-leaf ceiling decorations for future worshippers to experience the church in its full glory.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 116-117 19/07/13 12.52 Described as the finest collection of The lighting in the Court supports the manuscripts and books by a private collector architectural, and judicial, principles of in the twentieth century, the library’s treasure openness and transparency, and reflects the of artistic, religious and secular works date simplicity and legibility of the design. from 2700 BC. The Islamic Collection alone has more than 260 complete and fragmentary Indirect lighting highlights the concrete soffit Qur’ans from the late eighth and ninth as a connecting element between each floor, centuries. and enhances the appreciation of height and space. Sustainable initiatives, and custom- Most exhibits require low conservation levels designed luminaires seamlessly integrate into of lighting while visitors require a stimulating the architectural concept. visual environment. A range of lighting types and scene-set control systems were created for each gallery including an ‘out-of hours’ setting to reduce exposure and running costs.
Chester Beatty Library Brisbane Supreme Court Dublin
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 118-119 19/07/13 12.52 This 1500 seat recital hall, located 17m Collaboration with Basil Spence on Coventry underground, was a building services Cathedral took our practice to London. Rebuilt challenge with its exposed bedrock and multi- after a bombing raid in 1940, Spence’s purpose requirements. design preserved the ruins and united old and new parts of the church with a garden of The hammered apsidal wall is uplit to create remembrance. a dramatic focal point. Employing the natural qualities of the Sydney sandstone, our low With its integration of services and noise, low energy systems maximise the collaborative teamwork, the project brought thermal capacity of the rock while maintaining Scandinavian approaches to the U.K. including the acoustic quality of the space. an unobtrusive underfloor heating system, providing radiant warmth in the capacious space.
Sydney Grammar School St Michael’s Cathedral Assembly Hall Coventry
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 120-121 19/07/13 12.52 In a relationship with the hospital spanning 15 Mental health is the biggest health issue years, we have undertaken complete services facing young Australians with 75% of masterplanning, maintenance and major capital problems emerging before the age of 25. projects. This progressive facility reduces the need for admission into adult facilities and embraces The Biocore, a state-of-the-art isolation design principles to aid repair and restoration. laboratory for essential cardiac research, required the design of sealed services and All the services were designed to support custom-made equipment including pressure the creation of a non-threatening, healing gradients to separate sterile from non-sterile environment with limited boundaries, flexible areas, and a cyclic lighting system to provide spaces and natural light. a healthy environment for the animal-holding areas.
St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 122-123 19/07/13 12.52 Light can damage the retina in newborns. We extensively researched the effects of artificial lighting on circadian rhythm and designed a solution using cyclical lighting for the Neonatal Critical Care Unit at the new Mothers’ Hospital - a leading facility with 88 maternity beds, 16 birthing rooms and 79 NCCU cot spaces.
We were also lighting designers and electrical and vertical transportation engineers for a major redevelopment of the Adult Hospital and a linking road bridge across the site. The Mater Mothers’, Adult and Children’s Hospitals provide quality healthcare for uninsured patients.
Mater Hospital Brisbane
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 124-125 19/07/13 12.52 The Australian War Memorial is one of the country’s most significant locations. Its individual memorials include The Eternal Flame, a sculptural feature of the Pool of Reflection, burning as a perpetual reminder of the service and sacrifice of more than 100,000 Australians.
Such a sensitive site requires subtle solutions, with minimal disruption, for the replacement and provision of services that preserve and enhance the memorial and its surroundings.
“Here is their spirit, in the heart of the land they loved; Australian War Memorial and here we guard the record which they themselves made.” Canberra
Charles Bean
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 126-127 19/07/13 12.52 “When the last claustrophobic bonds of Jørgen Varming was an accomplished cellist. the war were broken, we were seized The coming together of technique and spirit by an immense urge to get out and take applied as much to his love of music as to his part in no less than the reconstruction of love of architecture. Europe.” He lived from 1906 until 1996. Jørgen Varming
Thinking without borders
Steensen Varming was founded by Niels Steensen and Jørgen Varming in Copenhagen - but the seeds of a global outlook were already sown when Jørgen and his architect father before him, studied in the U.K. Not long after the war ended, the Dublin office opened followed by Edinburgh and London - all preceded by prestigious commissions with competition-winning architects. The Sydney Opera House commission with Jørn Utzon continued this pattern and the Sydney practice opened in 1973. Hong Kong and New York followed in our eightieth year.
We developed through working with Arne Jacobsen, Basil Spence, James Stirling, and other masters of twentieth century architecture, none of whom let geographies restrict their horizons. We remain inspired by our Danish heritage while working with visionary architects and clients, wherever their location. Being global means more than expansion or having a physical presence in different countries - it is a way of thinking.
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Steensen Varming THE BOOK FINAL 20.indd 128-129 19/07/13 12.52 Mechanical Engineering Lighting Design Sustainable Design Electrical Engineering
Design & typeface
For the anniversary of the company we created a redesign that builds on our Danish Modern heritage. The photographic simplicity and detailed typeface combine with the grid and colour system to SENNEcreate a sharp, simple and contemporary corporate identity. - The Steensen Varming custom fonts are an integral part of the rebrand - from the letters that appear in the logotype, to the text you are reading in the book you are holding - that ensure a distinct typographic identity and consistent company image. Design details such as ‘chiselled corners’ and the ‘sharp bends’ of the letterforms reference the detailed world of Steensen Varming and establish a unique look without compromising legibility, even in small point sizes.
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A way of thinking
Published by Steensen Varming “And by the way: Date 2013 Varmings never give up.” Design Søren Varming, punktum design MDD Søren Varming Typeface Henrik Kubel, A2/SW/HK + A2-TYPE Grandson of Jørgen Varming Copywriting Fiona Duff, Tactile Editorial Sara Best, Steensen Varming Communications Kristian Eiberg, Relations People Title Christoffer Harlang Architects Architect Preben Hansen, Architectus, Arne Jacobsen, Bates Smart, Bligh Voller Nield, Building Studio, Colin St John Wilson and Partners Architects, Daniel Beasly Architecture, Daryl Jackson Robyn Dyke Architects, DeManincor Russell Architecture Workshop, Eva & Nils Koppel, Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, Francis Johnston, Guymer Bailey Architects, Hall, Todd and Littlemore, Harry Seidler and Associates, Hassell, Ingenhoven Architects, Johnson Pilton Walker, Jørn Utzon, Kann Finch Group, Kim Utzon Architects, Kristoffer Nyrop Varming, Max Brüel, Fehrdt Bornebusch & Jørgen Selchau, PTW Architects, Sir Basil Spence, Woods Bagot. Artists Caroline Rothwell, Gerard Reinmuth, John Tonkin, Sean Mulcahy. Images Aero Photo Ltd courtesy Winterthur, Andreas Wiking, Barry Tam, Brett Boardman, Cavanagh Photography, Colin St. John Wilson and Partners Architects, Craig Spring, Daniel Hopkinson, ESA-A. Le Floc’h, Garry Luu, Isaac Leung, John Gollings, Michael Carver, Michael Yip, Photodisc, Pressefotograf Jens Morten, Richard Drew, Richard Glover Photography, Saverio Marfia Photography, Simm Steel, Søren Nielsen, The Trustees of Chester Beatty Library Dublin, Tyrone Branigan Photography. Models H.F. Lambert Industrial Models, Porter Models, Sydney Opera House Trust Varming Alliance SVM Partnership, Varming Consulting Engineers. Printing Narayana Press ISBN 978-0-646-90733-8 Disclaimer Every effort has been made to seek the correct permissions and copyright for material reproduced in this book. Thank you For the valuable contributions of our ambitious clients, inspirational collaborating partners and dedicated staff. steensenvarming.com
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