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Rånåsfoss power station, situated in the municipality of Nes, east of Viken in Norway, is a special building for several reasons. It tells a long history that visitors will soon be able to learn about at a museum in the same building. The Vintage windows that preserve original character of the building, and thus its history, were supplied by Sapa through fabricator NorDan.
The power station has been generating renewable energy for 100 years and parts of the building now have listed status. Architecturally, it is a handsome and finely detailed building, with large, well proportioned glazing and windows that reach almost to the water’s edge.
The power station’s first machine hall, Rånåsfoss 1, is the part of the building that is currently listed and will house the future museum. When the time came to renovate the machine hall it naturally had to be done sustainably and with the utmost care.
“The goal was to preserve as much as possible of the original history of the building,” says Ole Petter Mandt, project manager at NorDan.
The windows were in particular need of renovation as they were in very poor condition. Originally made from steel, they would now be replaced with sustainable aluminium. From a distance they look the same, but when you get closer you see that the glass and the frames are new. The overall look has been preserved, but the replacement windows now make the hall more energy efficient.
Ole Petter Mandt enjoyed working on this particular project:
“It is incredibly rewarding to work on listed buildings. Rånåsfoss power station is very important, both locally and nationally. Here in Norway we are very proud of our hydropower and our clean energy.”
He describes the renovation of Rånåsfoss 1 as a challenging but also very successful project.
“The challenge at the start of the renovation process was how we could preserve the original character of the building but still meet the same insulation requirements as a new building,” he explains, adding:
“But aside from the fact it was a very time-consuming process and required a lot of planning, the on-site installation went very well. We are really pleased with the end result.”
Ole Petter Mandt also believes that the history behind Rånåsfoss 1 is more relevant than ever today.
“The turbines in Rånåsfoss 1 were the last ones to be supplied from Nazi Germany before they were banned due to the war with Germany.” Today, energy is once again being used as a weapon of war in Europe.
Sapa products: Windows: Sapa 1086 Vintage
Sapa fabricator: NorDan
Photo: Adam Stirling/Glass & Fasade
