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Hedmark Museum, Hamar. 1967-2005

The Hedmark Museum, also known as the Storhamar Barn, is one of Sverre Fehn’s best known works, the testing ground for his speculations on human nature and material history.

In 2009, Arkitektur N invited Helene Binet to take new photographs of the museum.

By Helene Binet
Published 05 Oct, 2009
 
Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Ramp through the west wing. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Ramp through the west wing. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Inside the museum. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Ramp through the west wing. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Opening in the castle wall. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. From the exhibition, ramp along the farm distillery. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Ramp up from the main entrance. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Timber roof structure above a part of a mechanical thresher in the museum. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. Stair to the auditorium. 1967-2005. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Staircase in the museum. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. From the exhibition. Glass objects are displayed against the daylight. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. From the ramp across the castle court. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Ramp across the courtyard. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. From the courtyard, where the ramp touches the ground. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. From the castle court, detail of old wall openings with new glazing. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. Ramp across the castle court. 1967-2005. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. From the castle court. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Protective structure above the corner tower of the archbishop‘s castle. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. Castle court with the protective structure over the latest excavation, a cellar vault. Photo: Helene Binet

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, by Sverre Fehn. 1967-2005. : The barn form of the museum sits atop the mediaeval castle ruins. Photo: Helene Binet

Architect: Sverre Fehn

The Hedmark Museum, also known as the Storhamar Barn, is one of Fehn’s best known works and unique in Norwegian post-war architecture. The design of various parts of the new museum building and the exhibitions followed Sverre Fehn through long periods of his career. It started in 1967, when the archaeological excavations were completed. The then director of the museum, Per Martin Tvengsberg, had been a student of Fehn at the Oslo School of Architecture, and Fehn was commissioned to do an initial design.

The works on site started in 1969, the barn was finished in 1971 and the south wing with the auditorium in 1973. The exhibitions were completed under the new director Ragnar Pedersen, and were completed in 1980. The pavilions in the castle courtyard were completed in 2005.