The Judges Awards

06.1 Hamsun Centre, Norway,
by Steven Holl Architects

American Steven Holl's latest project is a breath of fresh architectural air set just above the Arctic Circle. With seven projects currently under construction – and Beijing's high-profile Linked Hybrid mixed-use complex recently completed (W*123) – this multi-award-winning architect is in demand. It’s a relatively small, subtle structure in Norway that has really caught our eye. A centre devoted to Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun, near his native village of Presteid, Holl's build consists of a library, a reading room, a café, an auditorium and an exhibition space. One side of the façade is angled – Holl describes the structure as a 'bent cube' - and the whole is a battleground of vaguely jarring parts. The centre is clad in black-stained wood, referencing traditional Norse churches, and skirted by an exterior staircase. A central elevator constitutes the spine of the structure, giving access to eight levels, including the roof - where a striking bamboo garden pays homage to traditional Norwegian sod roofs - and two levels in the basement. The windows, while apparently haphazardly placed, are in fact positioned to allow the maximum amount of light into the interior, given that the sun never gets higher than an angle of 46 degrees. In all, this is a build rooted both in quirky Scandinavian temperament and the clarity of Nordic design.

Location: Hamarøy, Norway
Architect’s previous projects: Linked Hybrid,
Beijing, 2009; Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, Denmark, 2009; The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, 2007

View more images
www.hamsunsenteret.no
www.stevenholl.com

Categories