Kilden - bold Finnish architecture in southern Norway
2.7.2010 08:00 The Kilden Performing Arts Centre by ALA Architects is characterized by its bold and expressive architecture. It is the most significant cultural building project in Norway since the Oslo Opera House.
Illustration: Kilden - competition phase © ALA
Kilden gathers all the performing arts institutions of Kristiansand under one roof. A shoebox concert hall with a capacity of 1200 seats is built for the symphony orchestra. Agder county theatre will perform in a 700-seat theatre hall with excellent drama acoustics and extensive stage mechanics, with a theatre tower and understage machinery. The theatre hall is adjustable for music theatre performances, and will also house productions by the local opera company.
In addition to the main halls, Kilden includes a studio stage for contemporary theatre and a flat-floor multi-purpose hall for a wide range of activities. Kilden produces experiences. The fundamental architectural content is the way the concert, theatre and multi-purpose halls work together with the support spaces. The halls are arranged in a row according to their functions, and the organisation of the service areas allows common production equipment to serve all halls efficiently and without interference.
Kilden at ridge height in June 2010. Photo: Tuomas Uusheimo
The service areas are located on one side of the halls, with the public foyer on the other. The cantilevering shapes created by the undersides of the auditoriums are clad with a continuous curving wooden wall. This smooth form covers the public foyer and the entrance area on the pier. The curving wall, which is made of local oak, divides everyday life from the fantasy world of the arts and performances inside the halls. The dramatic shape rising over the foyer attracts audiences and the public to gather under the building, signifying the richness and diversity of arts and performances behind it, and representing the potential of the arts organisations working together.
Illustration of the wooden wall © ALA
The curving wall is manufactured from solid oak planks with the help of computer-aided modelling techniques. It is a real, tactile, physical form, not just a thin layer of texture. The wooden shape also improves the acoustic conditions of the foyer.
Illustration of the concert hall © ALA
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For questions on architecture, please contact: ALA Architects ltd Tel. +358 9 4259 7330 Email info@ala-a.com For press inquiries, please contact: Huippu Design Management Tel. +358 9 679 043 Email communications@huippu.fi
