Just this Monday, Kongsberg City Council announced that Mecanoo Architecten, together with Code Arkitektur and Buro Happold, won the design competition for a Knowledge and Cultural Square in the center of Kongsberg, a former mining town about 75 kilometers southwest of Oslo, Norway. The project comprises of a design for a cultural and teaching building totaling approximately 24,000 m², and includes future expansion of other functions, such as student housing, sports facilities and businesses. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The creation of the Knowledge and Cultural Square is the first step in reviving Kongsberg’s historic west side and consolidating a disparate city centre with active public spaces and facilities. Mecanoo’s ‘Silver Factory’ concept envisions a modern factory of culture, knowledge and public life that will create a new heart for the city. Chairman of the jury Erik Løfsnes: “The Silver Factory has solved a complex building program with a shape that can be a great asset for Kongsberg. This is a project that can become a real cultural and educational attraction, both nationally and internationally.”
