Aker's mechanical workshop
"The archive of Akers' mechanical workshop 1841-1982" has been included in Norway's documentary heritage. In 2016, it was 175 years since Akers mech. was founded, and this is a good opportunity to showcase this important part of the country's shipping and industrial history.
For 140 years, the shipyard in Pipervika was a visible part of the city of Oslo where Aker Brygge remains a landmark for permanent residents and tourists visiting the city.
At the end of the 19th century, there were many shipyards around the Oslo Fjord. Aker's mechanical workshop in Oslo was a leader, particularly in the construction and repair of iron and steel ships. Production was expanded beyond the 20th century and switched from steamboats to diesel engine ships. The construction of supertankers and oil platforms in the 1960s and 1970s required space and led to the company establishing production units outside Oslo. In 1982, the Oslo branch of the yard was closed down, and the area was transformed into what we know today as Aker brygge.
The archive after Akers mek. The workshop was given to The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology after the closure. It gives a good insight into both early mechanical industry and Norwegian ship and platform building over more than a hundred years. The archive is in three parts, and consists of written material with protocols, contracts and correspondence, around 200 shelf metres, a photo collection, consisting of around 13,000 photographs, and around 5,000 ship drawings and 1,100 rolls of platform drawings.
Read more about the archive after Akers mek. Workshop at Arkivportalen and Digitalt Museum Read more about Norway's documentary heritage on the Culture Council's website
