Projects / Culture     

Kuben Aust-Agder Museum and Archive, Arendal

Aust-Agder museum and archive in Arendal is a center for cultural history for the county and offers exhibitions on the history of Aust-Agder.

Architect: Div. A Arkitekter
Published 30 Mar, 2017
 
“Kuben”, north facade

“Kuben”, north facade

“Kuben” seen across the lake.

The new museum and the existing building form a yard to the south.

Main entrance at lower level.

Michael Johansson’s artwork “Echo”, a series of aluminium reliefs, is mounted on the concrete wall.

View through from the upper level entrance.

Exhibition space.

Upper yard, with the new museum and the existing buildings.

Outside stair to lower main entrance.

Level 5, on the axis of the main entrance looking towards the yard.

Main stair.

Main stair.

Site plan

Site section. Main lower level entrance to the left, upper level yard to the right.

Plan level 1. 1. Main entrance, parking level 2. Lifts 3. County museum storage 4. Freezer 5. Goods entry 6. Refuse 7. Waste separation 8. Ordering room 9. Unpacking 10. Archive 11. External stair 12. Main entrance from yard 13. Reception and shop 14. Cloakroom 15. Exhibition 16. Teaching space/exhibition 17. Café 18. Activity space 19. Auditorium 20. Yard 21. Administration 22. Open storage 23. Exhibition mounting 24. Anteroom 25. Roof

Plan level 5. 1. Main entrance, parking level 2. Lifts 3. County museum storage 4. Freezer 5. Goods entry 6. Refuse 7. Waste separation 8. Ordering room 9. Unpacking 10. Archive 11. External stair 12. Main entrance from yard 13. Reception and shop 14. Cloakroom 15. Exhibition 16. Teaching space/exhibition 17. Café 18. Activity space 19. Auditorium 20. Yard 21. Administration 22. Open storage 23. Exhibition mounting 24. Anteroom 25. Roof

Plan level 6. 1. Main entrance, parking level 2. Lifts 3. County museum storage 4. Freezer 5. Goods entry 6. Refuse 7. Waste separation 8. Ordering room 9. Unpacking 10. Archive 11. External stair 12. Main entrance from yard 13. Reception and shop 14. Cloakroom 15. Exhibition 16. Teaching space/exhibition 17. Café 18. Activity space 19. Auditorium 20. Yard 21. Administration 22. Open storage 23. Exhibition mounting 24. Anteroom 25. Roof

Detail section through external wall, junction of concrete facade and timber facade.

Main idea: The cube, volume and materials.

Completion: 2014

Address:
Parkveien 16, Arendal

View it on the map

Photo:
Jiri Havran

Kuben is the result of an invited design competition in 2006. It is the first museum in Norway built to passive energy standards.

Kuben is both a regional archive and a museum, a combination that is reflected in the structural design and materials. The four-storey archive is a closed in-situ concrete structure partly set into the sloping terrain. The museum is an open three-storey steel superstructure. An exterior concrete staircase connects the parking area at the lowest level and the existing public entrance yard and café on level 5. Five internal express lifts ensure full universal access throughout.