Munch/Stenersen and Deichman Competition Has Spanish and Norwegian Winners

Just a few days ago, Bustler reported on the prestigious international competition for the new Munch Museum and Deichman Library building in Oslo. The competition results have now been officially announced:

Spanish Herreros Arquitectos received the first price in the Munch Area competition with their proposal ”Lambda”. Lund Hagem Arkitekter AS with Atelier Oslo AS from Norway with their joint proposal “Diagonale” were ranked as number one in the Deichman Axis competition.

The winners are:

Munch Area Competition                                           

1st Prize: “Lambda” by Herreros Arquitectos (Spain)

The jury’s verdict for “Lambda”:

Lambda creates a generous invitation both to the Museum and to the public access of the area in general. The location of the Museum on Paulsenkaia leaves the area south of the Opera open to a public park and recreational landmark in the middle of the bay overlooking the fjord, in close contact both with the Opera and the Museum. The project strengthens the river mouth, opens the landscape and gives public access to both sides of the river all the way out to the fjord. The position between Akerselva and Stasjonsallmenningen connects the Museum to the commons as well as to the harbour promenade and fixes the urban vision of the area as a whole. The main entrance facing north connects the building to the urban fabric and city centre.

The choice of location and the urban form of the building makes Lambda stand out as a beautiful contemporary museum worthy of displaying the important combined collections in the centre of Bjørvika at the edge of the fjord. The building adds to the silhouette of the Opera with a slight verticality, choosing a posture which shows a double attention towards the fjord and the city. The new building communicates with the Opera on the same level of importance and opens the new reading of the landscape and introduce a new type of public space and openness in the area.

The concept of the Museum is flexible and invites to create new relationships between the two institutions. Separate exhibition areas connected with a generous vertical communication makes it easy to compose and change different exhibitions. Both Munch and Stenersen can be expressed and redefined inside as well as outside the building.

It is light and translucent in contrast to the opera. It is displaying the movement of people in the facade in contrast to the people walking on the roof of the Opera. The Museum talks with both sides of the bay by placing the exhibition and working space east and communication and public flows facing west.

Lambda makes a public vertical statement that is more powerful than the commercial high-rise zone to the north. It is a statement of art and public accessibility to the fjord. The building is elegant and iconic in its simplicity and will be a light tower in the fjord introducing an amazing place for people enjoying the unique landscape of Oslo.

2nd Prize: “Yin-Yang” by REX Architecture (USA) 

2nd Prize: “Girls on the Bridge” by Christ & Gantenbein (Switzerland) and Lie Øyen Arkitekter (Norway)

Members of the Munch Area jury:
Helle Søholt, Denmark Architect, Chairman of the Jury | Martin Biehl, Oslo Commercial Director, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet | Audun Eckhoff, Bergen Deputy Director, the Bergen Art Museum | Karl Otto Ellefsen, Head of the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, architect, MNAL | Eva Hagen, Oslo Managing Director, HAV Eiendom AS | Ellen Horn, Oslo Chairman of the Board of the Norwegian Opera & Ballet | Terje Kalve, Bergen Landscape architect, MNLA | Gudrun Molden, Bergen Architect, MNAL | Valerio Olgiati, Switzerland Architect | Espen Dag Rydland, Oslo Agency for Cultural Affairs, Oslo Municipality | Øivind Seiergren, Oslo MSc. Engineering, Seiergren Consulting, building projects/costs | Per Ditlev-Simonsen, Oslo Member of the Board of Directors of the Oslo Port Authority | Berit Skarholt, Oslo Agency for Planning and Building Services, Oslo Municipality

Deichman Axis Competition

1st Prize: “Diagonale” by Lund Hagem Arkitekter with Atelier Oslo (Norway)

The jury’s verdict for “Diagonale”:

The motto Diagonale seems to refer to both the sight line requirement, which has a distinct influence of the shape of the library, and the diagonal street that divides the A9 plot to give visual as well as functional access from the Akerselva Common to the Opera. The urban and commercial concept is very good.

Diagonale has a very good solution for the library. It neither has too many nor too few floors, and organizes the library around a beautifully shaped inner space that spans the building from roof to ground level. Diagonale consistently received the best rating from the librarians in the jury, and the general acclaim of the rest of the jury. Architecturally this is a proposal with great potential, while at the same time respectful of the position of the Opera.

Diagonale scored best on environmental issues of all entries. It can meet energy objectives well below official requirements and is well ahead of all others. The outer skin only has 20% windows. 80% is clad with a translucent nano-gel wall with very strong insulation qualities. This allows the library to be not only innovative in terms of library solutions, but also in technical matters. Future reductions of emissions and energy use will depend strongly on innovation. The jury wants to emphasize this.

2nd Prize: “Meeting place/diversity/openness/exploration”  by Schmidt Hammer Lassen (Denmark)

4th Prize: “Intermezzo” by Snøhetta (Norway)

4th Prize: “Between Brochure” by David Chipperfield Architects (UK) and Div.A Arkitekter (Norway)

The Deichman jury has also given two special mentions. The two projects are:

Special Mention: “Body & Mind” by Kister Scheithauer Gross / AnotherArchitect (Germany)

Special Mention: “Open Minds” by a-lab (Norway)

Members of the Deichman Axis jury:
Berit Kjøll, Chairman of the Jury | Mikko Heikkinen,  Architect (SAFA) Finland | Henrik Lundberg Architect, MNAL | Inge Hareide, Architect, MNAL – appointed by NAL | Birgit Cold, Architect, MNAL – appointed by NAL | Espen Dag Rydland, Oslo Municipality, Agency for Cultural Affairs | Eivind Hartmann, Architect, Oslo Municipality, Agency for Planning and Building Services | Rolf Hapel, Director, Ã…rhus Public Library | Maija Berndtson, Director, Helsinki Public Library | Eva Hagen, HAV Eiendom AS | Bjørn Agner,  MSc., project/building costs | Odd Einar Dørum, Member of Parliament | Britt Hildeng, Member of Parliament

Images: HAV Eiendom AS