Situated at the intersection of a forest-scape and harbor, Helen & Hard’s winning museum competition entry, Navet, offers the Norwegian island of Odderøya a place to reflect on the area’s heritage and naval history. Located in the city of Kristiansand, Navet will join a group of institutions in the region called the Vest Agder Museums that celebrate Norway’s past. Developed through careful consideration of its surrounding landscape, the form of the building situates itself to activate both the water and existing mountain front.
Firms such as BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and Reiulf Ramstad Architects were also asked to compete in the competition, but the jury picked Helen & Hard’s Navat, which means hub in Norwegian, because of its approach to integrating the landscape.
Emerging from the existing rock face of the mountain, the building features a walkable roof-scape that offers views of the harbor, salamander pond forest, and nearby city. The architects took into consideration the ecology of the site as a way to enhance the architecture rather than a factor to work around. The main entrance of the building is at the convergence of the two main facades, mediating the harbor and green areas. Inside on the first floor, a large glass window further blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor, nature and manmade.
The heart of the museum is the boat hall exhibition space, structurally framed with diagonal timber beams that are suggestive of nautical construction. Along with an exposed mountain wall, the space integrates local materials into its architecture. The boat hall offers interactive exhibits that teach visitors about the region’s maritime history. Additionally, the rest of the building houses flexible exhibition and workshop spaces. With a more muted aesthetic than the boat hall, the other rooms are designed to be as multi-purpose as possible.
The project will continue to be developed and depending on funding it should be completed by 2021 the latest.
Architects
Location
Odderøya, Kristiansand, NorwayArchitecture Firm
Helen & HardDesign Team
Siv Helene Stangeland, Reinhard Kropf, Kjersti Monsen, Mariana Calvete, Eivor Vik, Marie Louise Ditlev Eriksen and Troels BrochLandscape Architects
Designer
Imke WojanowskiProject Year
2017Photographs
Helen & HardArchitects
News via: Helen & Hard.
