Henning Larsen has just won an international competition to design the New Arts Center in Bergen, Norway. Situated in western Norway, the Grieg Quarter aims to blend urbanity, culture, and natural beauty in Bergen. The winning entry proposes to expand the city’s creative and natural landscapes with the new performing arts and exhibition center.
Adjacent to Bergen’s city center, the “Kontrapunkt” design for the New Arts Center is a testament to the city's commitment to culture. Envisioned as a 17,500 sqm music and conference hall, it will house a theater, an orchestra pit, exhibition venue, café, rehearsal spaces, and an outdoor square. This addition to the existing Grieg Hall, designed by Danish architect Knud Muk, aims to become a cultural landmark that will enhance the city's artistic essence by integrating the heritage of the preexisting structure. The design seeks to enrich Bergen’s cultural fabric with its seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces and a green plaza for communal gatherings.
Beneath the Edward Grieg Square, the new exhibition spaces span 3570 sqm, providing a dynamic platform for cultural immersion. The foyer is positioned to offer dual access points, hoping to forge connections with the city, inviting visitors from the Grieg Hall and the square at once. The scheme also features a café and a sheltered outdoor area offering an inviting space for visitors. Adjacent to these communal spaces, a rehearsal room is designed to accommodate rehearsals, performances, conferences, and events.
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Powerhouse Company Wins Competition for a Diverse Urban Ensemble in Amsterdam, NetherlandsIntegrated into the natural landscape, the Grieg Quarter’s outdoor square features indigenous flora and water management systems supporting local ecosystems. Standing in contrast to Grieg Hall’s angular façade, the square’s green landscape seeks to revitalize the existing cultural fabric. In fact, Kasper Hyndesen, Partner and Design Director of Henning Larsen claims that “by creating the framework for a setting where the city is invited into the space to enjoy the familiar and the new, the arts center will unlock huge cultural potential for Bergen and Grieg Quarter.
The Grieg Quarter competition shortlisted many world-renowned architects, including Kengo Kuma & Associates, MAD Architects, Snøhetta, Nordic Office of Architecture, and Zaha Hadid Architects. Overall, architecture competitions serve as vital platforms for innovation and creativity, contributing to the evolution of the built environment. In other similar news, Cobe Architects has just unveiled the winning design for the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen. Similarly, BIG and HNTB have just won the competition to design an Athletics ballpark in Las Vegas. Finally, GRAFT Architects recently won the competition to design the new Carl Bechstein Music Campus in Berlin, Germany.
