helen & hard chosen to build harborside museum building on a norweigan island

stavanger-based firm helen & hard has been chosen ahead of bjarke ingels group and reiulf ramstad architects to construct a new museum building on the norweigan island of odderøya. the competition was initiated by the vest-agder museum, who already has a number of other institutions spread across the south of the country. titled ‘navet’, the winning proposal will form a cultural history museum that also serves as a starting point to explore the rest of the island.

UPDATE: this project was shortlisted in the ‘culture – future project’ category at the 2018 world architecture festival.

all images courtesy of helen & hard / vest-agder museum

integrated into the landscape, helen & hard’s design comprises a timber shell, which surrounds the central exhibition hall at the heart of the museum. with a particular focus on the region’s nautical and naval history, the building will explore the island’s cultural heritage and present engaging exhibits that encourage interactivity. the new venue will also contain flexible classrooms and workshops for visiting students.

the museum will explore the region’s nautical and naval history

the jury, who were unanimous in their decision, praised the design for its sensitivity in adapting to its context, and for activating the existing harbor site in an unobtrusive way. ‘navet’ will now be further developed ahead of its eventual realization. in alphabetical order, the four other shortlisted teams include: bjarke ingels group with element arkitekter, lahdelma & mahlamäki architects, reiulf ramstad architects with VSO consulting, and transborder studio.

a timber shell surrounds the centrally positioned exhibition hall

site plan indicating the museum’s relationship with the harbor

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