Mobile Heritage: Preserving Architecture on the Move

From Drammensveien 312 to Arnstein Arnebergvei 31 "Som en flyvende tallerken i sakte film letter romfartskontoret til Njål R. Eide fra sin plass på Drammensveien 312 på Lysaker sentrum halv ett i natt. Noen timer senere var det på plass på sine søyler på fjellknausen i det gamle fornebu-krysset. " Source: Asker og Bærums Budstikke, 7. July 1990 Around midnight, a Tuesday in July 1990, a 107 square meter silver box of steel, aluminum, and glass, colloquially called the UFO, took off to a new destination, blocking the E18 Highway in the process. A service module was disconnected before the 10-ton building was lifted by a crane and onto a truck, and three hours later, 700 meters down the road, it landed on its new foundation. The spectacular event, which was extensively documented, with journalists referring to it as something out of a science fiction movie, is the starting point for my diploma project. Because of the development of Lysakerlokket, a large-scale infrastructural project, Njål R. Eide’s eye-catching architectural office was forced to move elsewhere. Eide initiated the pavilion in 1978 as a prototype for large modular buildings for his two primary sectors of operation: cruise ships and oil platforms. An optimistic belief in a future where technology and mass fabrication played an important role was incorporated into the design. The office pavilion rested on four concrete pillars, 60 cm above ground, on leased land. It had a 25-square-meter service module connected to it, containing an entrance area, technical installations, and water. The office pavilion was built to move. The unusual event on E18 more than 30 years ago is relevant for an architectural project today because the building in question is an unresolved issue – it currently lies vacant and derelict with no future plan. I will reveal through my diploma project that the building reflects a fascinating, multi-layered history. It is an heirloom from the recent past with a direct link to the oil industry and Norwegian cruise-ship design, two ...