COBE + TRANSFORM set angular porsgrunn maritime museum

COBE + TRANSFORM set angular porsgrunn maritime museum
photo by rasmus hjortshøj
all images courtesy of COBE and TRANSFORM

‘porsgrunn maritime museum’, located 100 kilometers southwest of olso, norway, has opened its doors to the public two years after construction began. the museum, a collaborative project by danish architecture offices COBE and TRANSFORM, showcases the town’s extensive nautical history, forming part of an urban redevelopment designed to reconnect the town with the waterfront.

the scheme forms part of an urban redevelopment designed to reconnect the town with the river
photo by adam mørk

the brief called for a scheme which respected the existing characteristics of the area, yet simultaneously offered a new and exciting landmark: and a symbol for porsgrunn and its people. sensitively installing a bold design within the harbor’s existing landscape, the scheme establishes a physical connection with a neighboring structure, providing additional gallery space.

the bold design is sensitively established within the region’s existing urban fabric
photo by rasmus hjortshøj

the building is composed of eleven reduced volumes, which relate to the scale of the area’s historic urban landscape. each of these spaces are enclosed by roof planes of varying pitches, forming a varied and dynamic structure which subtly mirrors the rugged norwegian landscape. the locally produced aluminum façade reflects light and movement, allowing the complex to forge a shimmering waterside presence.

the reduced volumes of the building relate to the scale of the building’s surroundings
photo by adam mørk

internally, a promenade at ground level welcomes visitors inside the building, while a central stairway leads to flexible and generously scaled exhibition spaces above.

see designboom’s previous coverage of the ‘porsgrunn maritime museum’ here.

the entrance foyer at ground level
photo by rasmus hjortshøj

internally, a central stairway connects the museum
photo by adam mørk

large gallery space is found at second floor level
photo by adam mørk

the stairway leading to the generously proportioned gallery space at the upper level
photo by adam mørk

‘porsgrunn maritime museum’ in its riverside context
photo by adam mørk

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project info:

title: porsgrunn maritime museum and exploratorium
location: porsgrunn, norway
client: telemark museum
architects: COBE and TRANSFORM
engineers: sweco
gross area: 2,000 sqm (21,528 sqf)
construction period: 2011-2013
assignment type: first prize in competition in 2009
photography: adam mørk and rasmus hjortshøj