In the heart of Stokmarknes, Norway, the windswept coastline and unpredictable storms were poised to bring an untimely end to a maritime relic – the MS Finnmarken. This 60-year-old vessel, once a stalwart of the Hurtigruten shipping line, had borne witness to a bygone era and was now in peril. Fortunately, a visionary solution, including Geberit products, emerged to safeguard this historic treasure. In this article, we delve into the remarkable story of how the innovative Pluvia roof drainage system and a movable glass enclosure came to the rescue of the Hurtigruten Museum’s iconic exhibit.
The Legacy of MS Finnmarken
The MS Finnmarken, a Norwegian ship that had replaced its wartime-damaged predecessors, was a colossal museum piece, stretching to about 81 meters in length and nearly 13 meters in width. For decades, this vessel had plied the Norwegian seas as part of the renowned Hurtigruten postal shipping line. However, since her retirement in the mid-1990s, the elements had taken a toll on the ship as she stood exposed to the harsh climate of Stokmarknes, Norway.
Nature’s wrath
Remarkably, it was water, the very element the ship had conquered for years, that threatened its existence. Located in a storm-prone region of Norway, the vessel was battered relentlessly by wind and rain. Local politicians, faced with the daunting prospect of spending over 2 million euros for scrapping the ship, decided to explore a more audacious and costly solution – a protective building shell to shield MS Finnmarken. This unique structure, directly connected to the nearby Hurtigruten Museum, would cost between 7 and 14 million euros.
The building envelope is relatively agile because of the weather conditions – it can move eight centimetres in all directions.
The saviour: A movable glass envelope
The innovative solution that emerged was a movable glass building designed to endure the harshest northern conditions. This shell, capable of shifting up to eight centimeters in any direction to withstand storms, imposed exacting requirements on the building materials, particularly the plumbing system.
Geberit’s tailored solution
Enter Geir Jimmy Søreng, the project manager from Geberit Norway, who was instrumental in providing a solution tailored down to the minutest detail. To address the unique challenge of a movable building envelope, the team designed a piping system with horizontal pipes, entirely welded from the floor to the roof. The choice of materials was crucial, and it was here that Geberit’s innovative products made a difference.
Pluvia roof drainage system: The game-changer
One of the most significant challenges was managing the considerable amounts of rainwater that this movable museum building would have to deal with. This is where the Pluvia roof drainage system from Geberit stepped in.
Plastic pipes – A decisive advantage
On the Norwegian market, Pluvia stands as the sole roof drainage system with plastic pipes, a decisive factor for the project’s success. Tomas Maske, project manager at the executing plumbing company RK Rør AS, emphasized the benefits of using this system over traditional copper and cast iron alternatives. Pluvia, with its lightweight PE pipes, offered ease of installation, reducing the risk of leakage to a minimum.
Know-how installed
The syphonic roof drainage system Geberit Pluvia employs pipes with smaller dimensions, designed to fill completely with water during heavy rainfall. This ingenious system creates a closed water column within the pipes, resulting in natural negative pressure and ensuring a high discharge rate. This is the epitome of “Know-How Installed.”
Conclusion
The saga of how the Pluvia roof drainage system and a movable glass enclosure saved the MS Finnmarken, a venerable piece of maritime history, is a testament to human ingenuity and Geberit’s innovative solutions. In a world where preserving our historical treasures is of paramount importance, such creative solutions ensure that even the most weather-beaten relics can continue to stand as a testament to our past.
