65 painted the primary colours that symbolized their rank. This was not done to be malicious, but due to their resources. Since red was the cheapest, and easiest to produce, it was mostly reserved for fishers and farmers. Red house paint was used by mixing ochre with cod liver oil, and vegetable or animal oil, to get the bright shade that is popular in Norway nowadays. Therefore, the traditional Norway colour for lower-class houses was red, which stuck with and became a custom over the years, regardless of status. Since, yellow was slightly more expensive to produce, as it was made with ochre and cod liver oil, this was reserved for a higher status of people. Yellow typically symbolized the middle class concerning the Norwegian houses. Finally, white was reserved for the luxurious class, as minerals such as zinc were needed to get the tone. In the older days, white was the most expensive colour. Nowadays, the importance of the warehouses lies in the whole landscape and not in a single building. Therefore, the preservation of the warehouse’s colour is a key aspect to preserve the identity of these historic buildings. In Norway, it is common to have wooden architecture from the past but also in more recent buildings. In an ancient drawing, “Maschiusstikket” from 1674, it is depicted the structure alongside the river and much of the warehouses landscape is as it is today, even though almost everything burnt down in 1681. However, there are some distinct changes in size (e.g., some warehouses are built together, some of them are smaller, larger, or taller). Later, fires have led to many wharf buildings being replaced by newer, more modern types that use similar principles. In the more recent examples, like Kjøpmannsgata 27 (built between 1858 and 1876), the building structure is still clearly visible. Even though its height and size are increased with respect to the earlier warehouses, the way it is built is, of course, based on the traditional techniques: the ground floor consisted of two rows of notched log timber rooms, with a corridor in the middle. This was connected to the river via a gallery, where all the goods were brought on shore. An important aspect is that these buildings would sometimes have a space in front one of the long sides making a useful gap in the row of buildings, to minimise the risk of fire spreading. The shape of the roof also says a lot about the history of the warehouses, as it was changed over time. Considering the shape of the roof it is possible to know when the warehouse was approximately built. The roof with the ridge in the eastwest direction was predominant. From 1845 until about 1925 all the roofs that were built were half-hipped on both sides because of fire regulation. The same regulations also set the maximum height of the bryggen to less than 14 metres and most of the bryggen from 1850-1860 present those dimensions. The warehouses were used as a food storage, to be able to market it. Therefore, the river is an important point where fishers can access the docks with their boat to put the fish inside the warehouses. Originally, the stairs, next to the doors that faced the river as the street, allowed one to quickly enter the warehouses to transport the merchandise, through a forklift. The building is a dark and cold place, where large air currents occur, allowing food to be better stored. The original warehouses were not used as dwellings, but today many have been
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