Næringslivets Hus – where new meets old

Næringslivets Hus was one of the first buildings in Stavanger to have glazed exterior walls. When the time came to renovate the building there was one clear ambition: to ensure there was no obvious difference between the new and the old exterior. Sapa supplied the aluminium windows and glazed facades for the project through Time Aluminium AS.

Næringslivets Hus is located in the heart of Stavanger, in south-west Norway. Together with the Atlantic Hotel, overlooking lake Breiavatnet, the building forms part of the beautiful urban landscape of the city.

Although Stavanger has been, and probably still is, the fastest growing city in Norway and the entire Nordic region in percentage terms, the city is also known for its eagerness to preserve its history. The older part of the city is very well preserved and many of the buildings are said to date from the mid-19th century.

When Næringslivets Hus required renovation there was a clear desire to ensure the work was done sustainably. The building was one of the first in Stavanger to have glazed exterior walls and it was important to preserve this unique character.

“The architect and the heritage officer both felt it was important that there should not be too many changes in the appearance of the facade,” explains Per Sjuve, project manager at Time Aluminium AS, which handled the contract.

The renovation project itself took several years. New glazed facades had to be installed and new wall surfaces had to be sealed and insulated – all while the building remained in use.

“It was quite a challenge to ensure people could continue to work in the offices as usual during the project, without too much disruption to the tenants. But we managed, and we did not receive a single complaint during the entire renovation,” says Per.

Another challenge was the building’s height and location – right in the centre of Stavanger.

“We planned to lift the new glazed facade elements on site using the biggest mobile crane available, but we actually managed to get them in place manually,” adds Per.

Sustainability was not just a priority during the building phase of renovating Næringslivets Hus, but also afterwards. A large proportion of the old materials that were replaced was actually re-used elsewhere.

One example was the old window frames, which were made of solid teak. After removal from Næringslivets Hus they were initially stored in a hen house in Hjelmeland, where the old rubber seals, hardware, screws and nails were removed, and they were then used to rebuild the front of the cabin on the veteran ship “Jøsenfjord”. This was not just any ship, The Directorate for Cultural Heritage had set aside up to NOK 20 million to restore the vessel.

Now that the renovation of Næringslivets Hus is complete, Per Sjuve from Time Aluminium AS is very satisfied with the outcome.

“We are very pleased with both the execution and the results. Næringslivets Hus is of course part of the whole character of this area, and part of many people’s daily lives. When the renovation was complete it was hard to tell the difference between the new and old facades at first glance. And that was exactly the way we all wanted it!”

Sapa products: Sapa 1086 windows (replacement of original windows) and Sapa 4150 glazed facade.
Sapa fabricator: Time Aluminium AS
Photo: Adam Stirling