VasaordenVasaordenVasaorden
A new boathouse for the Royal Barge Vasaorden on Djurgården. The starting point for the project is to reconcile the practical requirements of storage and maintenance with the opportunity to showcase the unique cultural value and aesthetic qualities of the Royal Barge through increased public exposure.
The new boathouse is carefully integrated into the cultural landscape of Djurgården, ensuring a minimal physical footprint. The design is based on a classic typology: a protective roof supported by cylindrical columns. The facades and roof are constructed from charred timber (shou sugi ban), the colour and tactile materiality of which allow the Vasaorden to stand out with its bright, colourful forms. The building’s character and architectural expression reflect and draw inspiration from the rich tradition of timber construction found on Djurgården—ranging from simple, rustic utility buildings to meticulously designed villas from various eras, such as National Romanticism.
The floor plan is designed to provide maximum openness. The gentle slope of the site is excavated to create a level area for the Vasaorden in the centre. Surrounding this, ramps follow the natural gradient of the terrain, allowing visitors to get close and experience the vessel from various angles and elevations. Two solid walls to the north and west form a backdrop for the Vasaorden and provide surfaces for the display of objects. The entrance is centrally located in the otherwise enclosed northern gable wall, ensuring that visitors enter the exhibition space along its central axis. Areas for technical equipment, storage, and support functions are grouped beside the entrance, as well as on a concealed mezzanine level beneath the roof, with direct access from the exterior.
Although the new boathouse is only open to invited guests, it remains a significant and welcome addition for the public, as the building's open design allows the Vasaorden and its associated exhibits to serve as a permanent installation within the park environment. An information plaque detailing the history and background of the Vasaorden is proposed for placement in front of the building, adjacent to the eastern gravel path.
For invited visitors, an educational tour can be arranged, beginning just inside the main entrance. Depending on the selection of objects included in the exhibition—such as flags, oars, lockers, uniforms, historical photographs, paintings, and maps—a number of natural stops can be organised along the route around the barge.
When the barge is required for rehearsals or special ceremonial occasions, it is transported on its existing steel cradle, mounted on rail-bound wheels, out of the building to be launched by crane.
