Industrial architecture after industrialism, 1960-80

Early industrial architecture has become a subject of extensive conservation and preservation efforts as well as growing interest, not only amongst architects and other specialists, but also the public at large. In his article ‘Industrial architecture after industrialism’, Boris Brorman Jensen asks what happens to contemporary industrial buildings, and which status post-industrial society affords existing production buildings.

‘Even though the Danish economy has long been undergoing a transition from traditional industrial production towards more knowledge-based industries, service providers, retail and other different kinds of experience economies, most Danish cities still contain one or more active industrial areas. Despite their typically remote locations and market fluctuations, Industrial Area North, South, East, West or whatever they might be called, remain a key contributor and productive part of the economy. (…) However, even a complete list of all the noteworthy contemporary industrial buildings would hardly even constitute the tip of the iceberg in the sea of anonymity that characterizes modern industrial buildings and landscapes. Most production buildings in the numerous industrial areas without any special qualities are utterly free from any illusion, more resembling boxy and introvert concrete monoliths.’

Download a full pdf version (in Danish) of the article here. See also Boris Brorman Jensen’s article on ‘A ray of hope in the production landscape’ in the magazine ArkitekturDK’s themed issue on production and technology here.