Projects / Culture     

Norwegian Museum of Tourism, Balestrand

The tourist museum in Balestrand is cut into a outcrop of gneiss. You can´t get closer to the Norwegian bedrock then this

Architect: Askim/Lantto arkitekter AS
Published 30 Mar, 2017
 
The museum is cut into an outcrop of rock in the centre of Balestrand.

The museum is cut into an outcrop of rock in the centre of Balestrand.

During construction. The rock pillars form the main loadbearing structure.

Entrance to the café at the upper level, behind the historic row of quayside houses.

From the exhibition.

The café.

From the exhibition.

Main entrance.

From the exhibition.

Main entrance.

Ground floor plan. 1. Main entrance 2. Foyer 3. Activity zone, temporary exhibitions 4. Anteroom, cloakroom 5. Storeroom 6. Photo, production 7. Storage 8. Deliveries 9. Board 10. Refuse 11. Cleaning 12. Heating.

First floor plan. 13. Shop 14. Café 15. Auditorium 16. Permanent exhibitions 17. Outdoor area 18. Library, meeting room 19. Office 20. Staff room 21. Temporary exhibition 22. Plant room

Section. 1. Main entrance 2. Activity zone 3. Café 4. Permanent exhibition 5. Goods delivery 6. Storage 7. Auditorium 8. Cloakroom

Completion: 2016

Address:
Holmen 15, Balestrand

View it on the map

Photo:
Nils Petter Dale, Ivan Brodey

Untouched nature has been the main selling point of Norwegian tourism since the mid-19th century, so the main idea for the new Museum of Tourism was to use the natural rock as a main element of the museum architecture.

Located on a tight, narrow site in Balestrand town centre, the museum is cut into an outcrop of gneiss, retaining thick stone pillars that carry angled concrete beams to make up the main structure of the building. Channels have been cut and filled with insula­tion to avoid cold-bridges. The new front wall is made with concrete sandwich elements.