Knuden Cultural School

Together with the Kunstsilo art museum and the Kilden performing arts centre, the new Knuden school of music and visual arts completes the new Kulturkvartalet cultural cluster in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand.
The volume of the building dialogues with Kunstsilo and the Kilden, organising a diverse and complex urban space with varied spatial, programmatic and climatic characteristics. The design consists of two volumes separated by an atrium, which acts as an extension of the public space and facilitates interaction between the two uses. The central atrium, in addition to fulfilling the functions of circulation and meeting space, provides the building with a versatile exhibition space. With 4 floors and a basement, it has two main uses: teaching and cultural. The music school can accommodate up to 300 students and simultaneously hold performances for 950 people.

Competition: 1st. prize, December 2016
Status: Completed on Sep 2023
Location: Kristiansand, Norway
Client:  Kristiansand Kommune
Budget:  29M€
Area:  5.140 m2
Authors: BAX, Mendoza Partida, Mestres Wåge
Photographs: Pedro Pegenaute, Alan Williams