How to maintain the patrimonial value of the grain elevator from 1935, and at the same time develop it into a contemporary Museum of Art? The building is in decay and will not survive without the new inhabitant.
Kunstsilo is a rehabilitation and transformation of the grain elevator on Odderøya in Kristiansand into an art museum. The original silo was designed by Korsmo and Aarsland Architects – leading figures in the functionalist movement in Norway. Today it is located next to the Kilden Performing Arts Centre and is to become a part of Kristiansand´s new cultural quarter with strong regional ambitions.
From the Jury report in the competition: “The Kunstsilo proposal harnesses all the expressive power of a silo (an existing heritage building) in order to generate a diverse and complex urban space with a variety of spatial, programmatic and climatic characteristics. The proposal consists of a new museum, a performing arts school, a hotel and a building to be used as an incubator for artistic start-ups. The project strikes an elegant balance by combining respect for the qualities of the silo building with an imaginative attitude to the inherently sculptural and spatial experiences it offers. With a few cuts into the interior of the silo, an understated yet monumental volume is opened up with controlled top-lighting that gives the future museum a strong and unique character.”