Cultural Centre Sisimiut
Project MA - Architecture and Timber Construction
Summer term 26 (15 ECTS)
Exploring Greenlandic culture sheds light on how Arctic communities respond to profound ecological and social changes. It also provides a better understanding of indigenous knowledge systems, which are becoming increasingly relevant to global research on sustainability and resilience. In the summer term, we will focus on the design project for a cultural centre in Sisimiut. The starting point is an existing small museum, which currently consists of several separate buildings and offers limited capacity, particularly for larger visitor groups. The new cultural centre is intended to bring together public and cultural functions, provide accessible information on Greenland’s current and future challenges, and create added value for the local population.
Construction in Arctic regions is characterised by specific conditions that affect the planning, construction and operation of buildings in equal measure. Extreme climatic challenges are compounded by significant logistical and structural constraints. Greenland illustrates this point impressively: the approximately 56,000 inhabitants live in a few towns and widely scattered settlements with no connecting road network, meaning that the transport of people and goods takes place exclusively by air or sea. This dependence directly influences construction processes and supply chains, particularly as virtually only rock is available locally and all other materials must be imported. Against this backdrop, timber takes on particular significance as a building material. On the one hand, it is one of the earliest materials used by the Inuit and continues to shape the appearance of many Greenlandic settlements to this day. On the other hand, timber’s suitability for prefabrication, its logistical advantages and short assembly times open up specific potential for construction in the Arctic context.
Dates:
KickOff: Tuesday 14.04.26, 14 - 15 pm, room 2350
Meetings: weekly Wednesdays 9 am - 13 pm, in the studio
Final presentation: Tuesday 07.07.26, 14 - 18 pm, room 2350