Snøhetta, in collaboration with 3RW arkitekter and COWI, is through to the final round and invited to a subsequent competition for a service contract in the Grieg Quarter competition.
The Griegkvartalet project is part of a planned new cultural quarter development, with the new concert hall operating alongside the existing Grieghallen. Snøhetta’s proposal is called «Med en vandlilje», With a waterlily, after a music piece composed by Edvard Grieg.
The vision is to compose a national romantic urban space for the general public where the landscape of Western Norway, the urban square and the new musical theatre create a unique blue-green “Griegkvartal”.
The new musical theatre close to Grieghallen will create a new international, regional and local centre for music and activate Grieghallen and surrounding urban spaces in Bergen city centre.
The building consists of a musical theatre for 1000 spectators, a rehearsal hall with the possibility of 200 seated spectators, as well as an exhibition and support area gathered under a universally designed public space floor.
The main concept is to place the main part of the musical theatre under Edvard Grieg’s square so that the overall volume appears minimal and provides as much as possible of the space floor for the use of the city’s citizens.
The stage tower will appear as a vertical element marking the building in the urban space. Around this, a unifying roof is established that allows for flexible use in the meeting between culture and audience.
The roof takes inspiration from Grieghallen’s arcade in height and dimensions and allows you to move sheltered around the building with covered entrances from all sides of the building.
The foyer will always be open to the public. Here Griegkvartalet’s activities can be exhibited, and performances introduced. A new café facing Edvard Griegs plass will activate this with the possibility of sheltered outdoor dining.
The form of the project takes inspiration from Grieghallen’s straight lines as well as the verticality and articulation of the stage tower. The roof curves take reference from Grieghallen’s curved façade in the north-west. Source by Snøhetta.