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Himla bygge (Heavenly Construction)

The walls of an electrical station on Järntorget have been provided with a neat pattern of carvings in the plaster that is reminiscent of thin wires. The fine threads run all over the facade and are spun into an airy web of dots and geometric figures. The pattern is abstract but could be associated with flowers or a web of stars. In a certain light, the lighter lines appear almost as golden against the otherwise brown and smooth surface.

A brown wall with neat patterns.
A brown wall with neat patterns.

As part of the reconstruction of the Järntorget square, Ulf Lernhammar was commissioned to artistically transform the power station. ‘I made a pattern construction with stars, like a sort of architecture of the sky,’ says Ulf.

For this, he chose to fill the façade with sgraffito – a technique for creating images or patterns in a plastered surface or ceramic object. By scratching in the top of the two differently coloured layers, the lower layer appears as lines or colour fields.

The sgraffito technique was particularly popular during the Renaissance, and using this old technique was an experimental process for Lernhammar and the masons helping him. The scratches must be made while the plaster is soft, and no one knew exactly how much time they had. They scratched one wall a day, and even though the plaster was harder to work with on the last day, it still worked!

Konstverk: Himla bygge (Heavenly Construction)

Konstnär: Ulf Lernhammar

År: 2012

Material: Plaster sgraffito

Placering: Järntorget

Ägare: Örebro Municipality

Konstverkets position på karta

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