"The roof of the venerable medieval hall in Bergen has come close to blowing off several times. Now Håkonshallen is getting new protection against the forces of nature, and the entire copper roof is being replaced.
– I am so happy, so happy, smiles senior curator Anne Ågotnes at the Bergen City Museum.
They are very relieved that new protection is in place in the hall of King Håkon Håkonsson from the year 1261.
– In a national context, Håkonshallen is completely unique. There is nothing comparable to it in non-church buildings, at all, she believes.
Replacing the roof at Håkonshallen
Håkonshallen gets new protection
Last changed in 1961
Fortunately, the substrate has managed to keep the rainwater out since the roof was last replaced in 1961. But the storm has come close to penetrating on several occasions.
Both during the severe storms of the 1990s and the extreme weather event Dagmar in 2011, the copper plates continued to fall off. Then drastic measures had to be taken.
But nailing and screwing the sheets is not a permanent solution for a copper roof.
– We must secure the roof in a safe way. When you screw it on, the gasket will gradually crumble, and then the water will very easily penetrate through the roof, explains Regional Director Torbjørn Nævdal at Statsbygg.
Special measures
Freestanding scaffolding at Håkonshallen
For 16 million kroner, Statsbygg is now replacing the entire roof. It requires many special measures to handle such a valuable building.
For example, they are not allowed to attach a single bolt to the brick wall, which means that the scaffolding is free-standing. On the ground, the scaffolding stands on cushions of sand to protect the medieval soil, which may have hidden treasures.
The roof work will continue until October, and it is now expected to last for 50 to 100 years.
– Once this roof is installed, it will function optimally. It will not blow off, we can guarantee that, concludes Nævdal at Statsbygg."
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