Project Description of Norveg Coast-Cultural Center by Gudmundur Jonsson Architect:
Norveg is situated in the Community Rørvik which has long tradition for fishery, and represents the utmost of the Norwegian coastal culture through ages. Today there is a boat-building industry carrying on the tradition, but in a modern way.
Beeing situated by the coast, represents in one way a challange bringing visitors to the place, ensuring economic stability in the organization of the center. Therefore the Architect stated, that a building of significance was needed to ensure attention to this community.
The Architect “visited” the ancient times of fishery and used the culture for inspirition in creating the idea. Thus the idea is based on the image of 3 sails which lean against a modern vessel, such uniting the sailing-boat tradition and the modern ships. The building becomes an evolution of a coast-cultural history visualized in architecture. The building even consists of an after-deck or a hind part to complete the interpretation of the ship-inheritage.
The organization follows the architectural elements. The main central vessel or hull as the spine of the building housing the administration, kitchen and technical plants. The sails covering the foyer, restaurant and temporary exhibition. The big rock on the other side symbolizing the shore the ship is docking to, containing the multimedia and concert/auditorium space. At last the after-deck containing the coast-cultural exhibition also designed by the same Architect.
Climate by the sea demands carefullness in the choice of materials. Therefore the use of Alucobond in the Sails was necessary because of its endurance. The main ship consists of concrete, casted by horisontal formwork boards to illude the ship, and the afterdec-walls are covered with wooden boards specially impregnatet to interpretate the old wooden boats.
The building has allready managed to arouse a great interest outside Rørvik and the northern part of Norway, but the most important part is that it allready has achieved to arouse optimism in the Community, creating other investments, and leading to other buildings and enthusiasm in the society. In such way it has in its small scale established a kind of a Bilbao-effect for a community of 10.000 inhabitants and is still carrying on its mission as an architectural symbol of history in evolution.
