Discover Greenland : Architecture (and design)

Inuit Architecture

Inuit habitat is often described as primitive... but that's a pejorative term when you consider the ingenuity that went into creating a habitat built from natural materials and perfectly adapted to the environment. In winter, the Inuit favored mud or sod huts. Low and square, they were built of stone for better insulation. As Greenland is short of wood, the roof was covered with turf and supported by beams made of driftwood - wood washed up by the oceans. These huts, which can still be seen today, were built close to the sea to facilitate fishing trips. The igloo, which means "house" in Inuit, was not very widespread. This type of dwelling was only used in the far north of the country, where the sea froze. Blocks of snow were cut to different sizes using special blades, often made of slate. They were then arranged to form a perfect dome, leaving enough space inside for people to move around. The snow provided good thermal insulation, which, together with the campfires and the presence of the inhabitants, helped maintain a perfectly bearable temperature. In summer, when they gathered and hunted, the Inuit used tents made of animal skins, usually sealskins, to avoid sleeping under the stars. The overall structure was supported on the inside by a driftwood frame, and on the outside, the skin was held together by large stones. A habitat in perfect harmony with nature!

Viking relics

The Vikings, led by the legendary Erik the Red, left much more than just vestiges, since it was Erik himself who, impressed by the green fjords and valleys, gave the country its name of "GreenLand". In terms of housing, the Vikings used two types. The Viking ship-shaped house with oval sides, supported on the outside by wooden posts. These longhouses could accommodate several families. Inside, long benches lined the walls and the chimney was placed in the center, with a hole in the roof to evacuate the smoke. In the absence of wood, the Vikings covered their roofs with turf. The other most common form was the semi-subterranean house, dug about one meter into the ground. The surrounding earth provided good thermal insulation. The remains of these dwellings can be seen at Qassiarsuk, where the site of Brattahild, the name given to Erik the Red's former home, is located. There are the ruins of two stone halls and traces of a dozen dwellings. At Narsaq, a superb longhouse was uncovered in the 1960s. It is believed to be the very first place where Erik the Red settled before founding Brattahild. But the Vikings didn't just leave civil vestiges, they also left astonishing religious vestiges, as the Scandinavian peoples underwent forced Christianization. In Igaliku, you can admire the foundations of Gardar Cathedral, the largest Nordic cathedral of the Middle Ages... it was 27 m long and 16 m wide, and followed a cross-shaped plan. Not far from Qaqortoq are the remains of theHvalsey church, built of ashlar with walls up to 1.5 m thick! Finally, on the Brattahild site, you'll discover the remains of St. Thjodhild's Church, considered to be the very first church built on the North American continent. Like the Inuit, the Vikings were far removed from the crude, primitive image often attributed to them.

Danish influences

You've probably seen pictures of Greenland's colorful houses... but did you know that this is a tradition inherited from the time of colonization by the Danes in the late ^18th century? Pragmatic and, above all, keen to continue building with wood, as they had done in their own country, the Danes imported their houses by boat, a sort of kit dwelling, which they then reassembled at their destination. The wood used is a more malleable softwood. Roofs are gabled and timber-framed. As for the colors, they all have a meaning: red for shops, yellow for hospitals, black for police stations, green for communication posts and blue for fish factories and canneries. You can admire this fine colonial heritage in the small port of Nuuk, the capital, or in the small town of Qaqortoq. Another witness to the Danish presence is Nuuk's Cathedral of Our Saviour, built in the late ^19th century and described as the world's smallest cathedral. It was built according to the principles of Lutheran worship imposed by the Danes.

Modern era trash

During the Second World War, when Denmark was under Nazi domination, Greenland chose to join the United States. The Americans quickly recognized Greenland's strategic importance and built military bases there, such as Thule. Its expansion in 1951 led to the expropriation and displacement of many Inuit populations. In fact, it was the creation of the Thule base that led to the creation of the municipality of Qaanaaq, the northernmost municipality in the country. This injustice was compounded by another phenomenon in the 1960s. At that time, the Danish government instituted a policy of forced assimilation, forcing village dwellers to move into the soulless apartment blocks that sprang up around the cities, notably Nuuk. Under the guise of being able to better manage an otherwise dispersed and isolated population, the government was in fact seeking to transform the Inuit into perfect citizens, providing additional manpower for the booming fisheries. Problem: this modern architecture is totally unsuited to the Inuit way of life.

Looking to the future

Today, new districts are springing up, this time attempting to combine tradition and modernity more harmoniously. This is especially true of the suburbs around Nuuk, and Qinngorput in particular. Here, many small buildings with colorful facades have sprung up. The apartments are larger and, above all, brighter, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. And to top it all off, these new homes have balconies where residents can hang their laundry, of course, but also their fishing and hunting gear! These suburbs have also seen a return to the tradition of colorful houses. But this time, the houses are two or three storeys high and, above all, their colors have changed. Gone are the functional colors. Purple, orange and pink are now proudly displayed, with no meaning other than the owner's taste. In Greenland, you only ever own your house. Land, on the other hand, is a collective asset that no one can own. That's why you'll never find fences around the houses! However, these new dwellings don't prevent some inhabitants from perpetuating the tradition of Inuit architecture, and bringing out their animal-skin tents once the warm weather returns.

Greenland also offers some very fine contemporary buildings. In Nuuk, you can admire the Katuaq Cultural Center, built in 1997, whose curved façade recalls the undulations of the northern lights; or the superb Malik swimming pool, which means "wave" in Greenlandic. Its wave-shaped roof blends harmoniously into the landscape, while its panoramic window offers clarity and luminosity. The city also boasts "twin towers" in the Jagtvej district, housing some of the country's most luxurious apartments. Two other superb projects are currently under construction. The first is the National Gallery, designed by the Danish agency BIG. The building is intended as an architectural metaphor for a glacier. The large white ring is designed to harmonize with the rocky base on which it rests. With its glazed ceiling, it offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding nature. The interior, meanwhile, is designed as a kind of labyrinth, creating a dynamic metaphor for creativity. The city of Nuuk will soon be home to the country's very first prison. Designed by Friis & Moltke, the building reflects a committed, humanist vision of architecture. Without neglecting security, the architects have designed a building that gives pride of place to light and openings, allowing a privileged relationship with the outside environment, given its influence on human behavior. Integrated into the Arctic rock, this prison will be a true architectural first. Another contemporary creation not to be missed is the Ilulissat Fjord Visitor Centre, designed by Danish architect Dorte Mandrup. As the fjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the architect designed an architecture that respects this unique environment. He himself claims to have been inspired by the wings of a snowy owl in imagining the building's sober, simple structure.

At a time when titanic plans are afoot for new housing, a new airport and the expansion of existing runways to cope with the population influx that will result from the exploitation of mineral resources revealed by global warming, architects face a major challenge: to imagine an architecture that respects the environment, enables harmonious social development and, above all, reinforces the identity of an entire nation. Let's hope it's possible..