On top of the very solid building of the new National Museum in Oslo the "Alabaster Hall" (also known as the "Lyshallen" - Light Hall) provides a spectacular contrast: the 3,000 -square-meter façade made from translucent marble-glass offers an incomparable display of light, accentuated at night by LED illumination. More than 1,100 stone-glass laminates from sedak create this fascinating effect in which the solid natural stone laminated into the glass panes appears bright and translucent.
Glass-stone laminates in perfection
The challenge in creating this construction was the lamination of the Estremoz marble, only 4 mm thick, as a special interlayer between two HSG panes (6 mm each). For the façade and roof glazing, sedak supplied laminates in various formats up to a size of 3,116 mm x 1,329 mm.
In order to create an optimal and homogenous appearance of the light-stone façade, the project team selected suitable marble slabs on-location in the Portuguese quarry, together with the architect Klaus Schuwerk – every single slice is therefore hand-picked. The glazing appears as if it was cast in a single mould. At night, LEDs illuminate the glass cube and underline the translucent effect of the Light Hall; during the day it can also be seen from far away.
Architecture: stone and transparency
The new Nasjonalmuseet combines art, architecture and design from four previously separate museums, and houses paintings, drawings, sculptures, textiles, furniture and architectural models. The building was designed by architect Klaus Schuwerk (of Kleihues + Schuwerk), who has succeeded in creating an unusual, exciting interaction between the very solid natural stone façades and the semi-transparent "Lyshallen".
