Rehabilitación de la destilería Atlungstad, Ottestad (Noruega)
Rehabilitación de la destilería Atlungstad, Ottestad (Noruega) por Atlungstad Distillery SA, la Dirección Noruega de Patrimonio Cultural, el Ayuntamiento del condado de Hedmark y el Ayuntamiento del condado de Innlandet y la ONG Amigos de la destilería Atlungstad (Premio Europa Nostra 2022)
In the 2022 edition of the prizes the jury highlighted the importance of restoring industrial buildings by choosing this particular project. In the rehabilitation of the Atlungstad Distillery old factory machinery was reused, restoring the building’s industrial feel while also incorporating new cultural and social purposes. This restoration project is especially noteworthy for the transmission of skills, the revival of old production methods and other intangible aspects. Atlungstad Distillery, built on the shore of Lake Mjøsa in 1855, is the oldest Norwegian distillery still in use and is one of just a handful of historic distilleries producing potato-based spirits in Europe. Prior to its closure in 2008 the distillery was one of the leading producers of commercial spirits such as punch and aquavit, Norway’s national spirit. From 2011 to 2019 an alliance of public institutions, the commercial private sector, volunteers and NGOs breathed new life into the distillery, transforming it into a heritage site which offered meeting venues, catering facilities and a small museum, and making it an active and financially viable industrial heritage site. The site was jointly owned by shareholders from the public, private and cultural sectors. To ensure that the distillery could continue in operation, the 1960s distillery equipment underwent thorough maintenance in order to return it to use. The old cellars, where the aquavit was aged in oak barrels, were restored and renovated. Traditional techniques were used to reconstruct Atlungstad Distillery’s old quay, where boats loaded and unloaded their cargo. Local restoration carpenters took part in the construction of a new quay, using timber traditionally sawn at a heritage sawmill. This quay, which was rebuilt on its original site, is often used for outdoor activities and is the landing point for the historic paddle steamer Skibladner, which dates from 1856 and continues to provide daily sailings across Lake Mjøsa.
Brief analysis of the case:
This is an old distillery which, having lost its use, had fallen into a process of progressive degradation. The recovery has been carried out on several fronts, ranging from the restoration and partial reconstruction of the building using traditional materials and techniques, the restoration of the machinery and its distillery activity, to the museumization, the rehabilitation of the spaces for public accessibility, their adaptation for visits and their use as a venue for cultural events. The intervention has been able to combine the recovery and rehabilitation of the spaces for new uses with the conservation of the material and immaterial values of the complex, maintaining its authenticity and promoting sustainability in all its aspects.