Five finalists have been shortlisted in the competition to design the new Griegkvartalet Theater in Bergen, Norway. The project is set to be a cultural powerhouse in Western Norway, hosting multidisciplinary forms of art, including opera, musical theater, ballet, dance, concerts, and conferences. The competition emphasizes integration with the surroundings, urban space, energy efficiency, and feasibility.
The shortlisted teams include Henning Larsen Architects, Snøhetta, Zaha Hadid Architects, MAD arkitekter and Kengo Kuma, and the Nordic Office of Architecture includes Arkkitehtitoimisto ALA in the architecture subjects. Each studio was selected from 32 participants worldwide and will be filtered into three winners in the coming stages in the fall of 2023. Ultimately, by March 2024, one winner will be selected and receive the official service contract to begin construction.
"What these five selected groups have in common is their track record of creating beautiful and relevant cultural buildings and urban spaces. They demonstrate expertise in both architecture and consultancy, as evidenced by their references. Their letters of motivation have shown their dedication and suitability to participate in the planning and design competition", explains Olav Munch, Managing Director of Grieghallen.
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A-lab and LPO Unveil Design for a Mixed-Use Development as Part of Fjord City Oslo, a Large-Scale Urban Renewal ProjectAll the shortlisted studios have designed cultural institutions that are similar in program to the Griegkvartalet Theater. The Oslo Opera House, designed by Snøhetta Oslo, is the country's largest music and theatrical institution. Zaha Hadid Architects designed the MAXXI Museum and cultural center in Rome, which was recently completed in 2019. In 2020, Kengo Kuma & Associates and Mad Arkitekter won the competition to design the new Ibsen Library in Skien, Norway. Finally, Henning Larsen Architects, in collaboration with Arup, has been selected to design and restore the Canberra Theater Center in Australia.
Read more about the selected teams.
- Henning Larsen Architects, in collaboration with Rambøll Norge as consultants. Henning Larsen Architects have designed structures such as the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center (Reykjavik), the Shaw Auditorium (Hong Kong), and the extension of the Opera Bastille (Paris).
- Kengo Kuma and Mad arkitekter along with Vogt Landscape in the architectural disciplines, and Buro Happold, NODE consulting engineers, Voss Elconsult, Konsepta, Tevas, Byggadministrasjon Harald Bjørndal, light designer Jesper Kongshaug, Advansia, Kepla, and Civil Management as consultants.
- Nordic Office of Architecture includes Arkkitehtitoimisto ALA in the architecture subjects and Norconsult as consultants.
- Snøhetta Oslo, with 3RW architects in the architectural subjects, and Cowi as consultants.
- Zaha Hadid Architects, along with A-lab and Sweco Architecture in the architectural disciplines, and Tyrens Sweden, AKT II, Hilson Moran Partnership, and Tevas in the consultancy disciplines.
